Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Rate Selection Guide
AEP Ohio (Ohio Power Company, an American Electric Power subsidiary) serves 1.5M electric customers across central, southern, and eastern Ohio including the Columbus metro. Operates Green Button Download, full EDI for Ohio's Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES) providers, and a Green Button Connect OAuth API.
Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | Commercial GS-1 | See tariff | General Service Small: <10 kW |
| GS-2 | Commercial GS-2 | See tariff | General Service Medium: 10-200 kW |
| GS-3 | Commercial GS-3 | See tariff | General Service Large Secondary: 200-1,500 kW |
| GS-4 | Industrial GS-4 | See tariff | General Service Primary: 1,500-10,000 kW |
| IRP | Industrial IRP | See tariff | Interruptible Service Rider |
| EV-DCFC | Electric Vehicle EV-DCFC | See tariff | Electric Vehicle DC Fast Charging |
| TOU rider | Time-of-Use Rider | See tariff | Customers with 20%+ shiftable load |
Market Overview
Ohio is fully deregulated for electric supply. AEP Ohio is the regulated delivery utility; default supply procured via competitive bid (Standard Service Offer). Customers shop generation from licensed Competitive Retail Electric Service (CRES) providers via PUCO's Energy Choice Ohio portal. Customers can shop generation from licensed competitive suppliers via the state's official comparison portal. The default utility continues delivery and billing for non-shopping customers.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
Ohio Power Co. rates are filed with the state public utility commission and updated periodically through rate cases or rider mechanisms. Commercial and industrial customers face demand charges that scale with load size and voltage level. Time-of-use options are available for many rate classes.
Effective: January 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GS-1 | commercial | General Service Small: <10 kW | Customer charge plus per-kWh energy. No demand component. | — |
| GS-2 | commercial | General Service Medium: 10-200 kW | Customer charge, billing demand (30-min peak), and energy. | — |
| GS-3 | commercial | General Service Large Secondary: 200-1,500 kW | Secondary voltage delivery with TOU energy and two-part demand. Voltage discount available. | — |
| GS-4 | industrial | General Service Primary: 1,500-10,000 kW | Primary voltage with mandatory TOU. Two-part demand (max + on-peak). | — |
| IRP | industrial | Interruptible Service Rider | Discount on demand charges for >1 MW load willing to curtail under emergency dispatch. | — |
| EV-DCFC | ev | Electric Vehicle DC Fast Charging | Reduced demand charges in first 5 years. PUCO pilot approved through 2027. | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Small Business
Small commercial establishment with demand under 50-100 kW - retail, restaurants, small offices.
At this scale, demand charges may be modest or absent depending on rate class. Focus on energy efficiency for fast payback.
- Install occupancy sensors and LED lighting
- Use smart thermostats with after-hours scheduling
- Apply for small business energy efficiency rebates
- Monitor demand monthly
Mid-Size Commercial 50-999 kW
Office buildings, grocery stores, shopping centers, and mid-size facilities.
At this scale, demand charges become significant. Real-time demand monitoring with automated load shedding is essential.
- Install real-time demand monitoring
- Stagger HVAC unit startups by 10-15 minutes
- Evaluate TOU rate vs flat rate
- Enroll in commercial demand response
- Consider thermal energy storage
Large Industrial 1,000+ kW
Manufacturing plants, data centers, and heavy industrial operations.
Take service at the highest practical voltage level. Evaluate interruptible service, hourly pricing, and PJM/MISO capacity revenue.
- Take service at the highest voltage level feasible
- Maintain load factor above 70%
- Evaluate interruptible service
- Install power factor correction
- Consider hourly pricing or RTP
EV Fleet
Fleet depots, DC fast charging hubs, and public charging operators.
EV-specific tariffs provide demand-charge mitigation in the first 3-5 years. Off-peak overnight energy pricing supports economical fleet charging.
- Schedule fleet charging during off-peak overnight hours
- Apply for EV make-ready infrastructure incentives
- Use managed-charging software
- Take the dedicated EV tariff
Historical Rate Trends
Ohio Power Co. rate history reflects a mix of base rate cases, formula-rate plan updates, fuel cost adjustments, and capacity-related riders. Annual increases have ranged from 2-8% with occasional decreases when natural gas prices retreat.
April 1, 2022
Annual rate adjustment reflecting elevated natural gas prices and capital investment in grid reliability.
+5.4%January 1, 2023
Base rate increase approved by the state PUC for distribution infrastructure upgrades, smart meter deployment, and grid resiliency investments.
+4.1%September 1, 2023
Fuel cost adjustment decrease as natural gas prices moderated from 2022 highs.
-1.6%June 1, 2024
PJM capacity auction pass-through plus grid modernization investment.
+5.8%April 1, 2025
Distribution rate update under formula rate plan / rate case. Includes EV infrastructure investment.
+3.2%January 1, 2026
Annual base rate adjustment. Continued grid hardening and clean energy integration drive moderate increases.
+2.9%Overall trend: Ohio Power Co. rates have increased at roughly 3-6% annually over the past five years, driven by capital investment in grid modernization, smart meters, and clean energy compliance.
Next expected change: April 2026 (annual rate rider adjustment)
Cost Optimization Strategies
Bill savings opportunities fall into three buckets: supply procurement (where deregulated), demand and TOU management, and efficiency investments.
Competitive Supply Procurement
For: All customer classes
In a deregulated market, the supply portion of your bill is fully negotiable. Solicit multiple competitive bids; commercial customers typically save 5-15% vs default service.
Demand Management
For: Commercial and industrial (50+ kW demand-billed)
Demand charges typically constitute 30-50% of large C&I bills. Install real-time demand monitoring with automated load shedding.
Time-of-Use Optimization
For: Commercial and industrial with 20%+ shiftable load
Moving to a TOU rate and actively shifting load to off-peak hours yields the largest energy savings for shiftable C&I operations.
Power Factor Correction
For: Commercial and industrial with inductive loads
Installing capacitor banks corrects inductive load to 0.95+ and eliminates penalties. Typical payback 12-24 months.
Energy Efficiency & Rebates
For: All customer classes
Ohio Power Co. offers rebates for HVAC, lighting, controls, refrigeration, and building automation. Paybacks 2-5 years.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
Ohio is fully deregulated for electricity supply. Ohio Power Co. continues to deliver electricity regardless of your supply choice. You can switch suppliers without service interruption or notification to the utility.
How to Compare Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Suppliers
- 01Visit https://www.energychoice.ohio.gov/ - the state's official supplier comparison portal
- 02Compare licensed supplier offers to your utility's recent default supply cost
- 03Check if your municipality has a CCA / opt-out aggregation program
- 04For commercial customers (>100 kW), engage an energy broker to solicit multiple bids
- 05Review contract length, early termination fees, auto-renewal terms
- 06Enroll directly with the chosen supplier
- 07Re-shop annually to maintain competitive pricing
Contract Terms for Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Supply Agreements
- Fixed-rate contracts typically 12-36 months for residential, longer for commercial
- Variable-rate plans fluctuate monthly and can spike during extreme weather
- Block-and-index contracts blend a fixed portion with market-indexed pricing
- Early termination fees vary: $0 to $200 for residential, larger for commercial
- Auto-renewal is common - contracts revert to variable or higher fixed rate
- Renewable energy adders typically add $0.005-$0.02 per kWh
Common Pitfalls When Shopping Ohio Power Co. (AEP Ohio) Rates
- Introductory teaser rates that spike after 1-3 months
- Variable rate offers tied to wholesale markets can double in extreme events
- Door-to-door and telemarketing solicitations are often misleading
- Hidden monthly service charges and green energy adders
- Switching suppliers does NOT change your delivery charges
- Municipal aggregation enrollment is opt-out
- Cancellation requires advance notice (typically 30-60 days)
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get 15-min interval data from AEP Ohio?▾
Sign in at aepohio.com - My Account - Energy Use. Green Button Download exports CSV/XML for 24 months of 15-min electric data. AEP Ohio's AMI is fully deployed.
Does AEP Ohio support Green Button Connect / OAuth?▾
Yes. AEP Ohio participates in Ohio's CRES data sharing standard. Register as a third party at aepohio.com/business/data; customer authorizes via OAuth.
Does AEP Ohio support EDI for CRES providers?▾
Yes - full EDI for licensed CRES providers per Ohio EDI Working Group standard. ANSI X.12: 814, 810, 820, 867.
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