Depending on your location in Columbus and central Ohio, your electricity could be provided by one of many local utility companies.
Suppliers
In 2001, Senate Bill 3 went into effect, allowing customers to select their energy supplier regardless of their local utility distributor. The state’s Public Utilities Commission provides an apples to apples comparison of different suppliers and the rates being offered.
Distributors
No matter which company you select as your supplier, you will receive a single bill from the company that owns and operates your local distribution network.
AEP Ohio
AEP Ohio provides power to around 1.5 million customers in 61 of Ohio’s 88 counties. Its headquarters is in Gahanna with regulatory and external affairs offices in downtown Columbus.
For information on how to contact AEP Ohio, visit their website. To see the status of an outage in your area, visit the outage map.
South Central Power Company
South Central Power Company is a member-owned electric cooperative serving more than 120,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in 24 Ohio counties.
The Energy Cooperative
The Energy Cooperative serves more than 63,000 Electric, Natural Gas and Propane members in Ohio. Electric customers are mainly in Licking and Knox Counties, as well as parts of Richland and Ashland Counties.
You can view a map of current outages here.
Ohio Edison
Ohio Edison is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. It serves nearly 1 million customers in northeast and north central Ohio.
Visit their website for information on current outages.
Columbus Electric
The Columbus Division of Power maintains its own distribution network and has a service area that includes much of the city. Visit their website for information on connecting your service.
Westerville Electric
Formed in 1898, the Westerville Electric Division is central Ohio’s only municipally owned and operated suburban electrical provider. It serves more than 37,000 Westerville residents as well as 2,100 businesses.
A dashboard showing current outages is available here.
Submetering
Many people who lease apartments or live in a condominium community do not purchase electricity directly from the utility, but instead interact with a submetering company. These companies purchase electricity in bulk from the utility and then bill individual residents for usage.
Examples of submetering companies include:
