Ohio · Updated August 31, 2026

Apples to Apples for Ohio natural gas

Apples to Apples is the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's free comparison tool, and it covers natural gas on a separate tab from electricity. It lists every certified gas supplier's current offer for your utility, with the rate, the contract length, whether the price is fixed or variable and the early termination fee. It does not tell you what you pay now, what your usage is, or what the Standard Choice Offer will average over the term you are being asked to commit to — which are the three numbers that decide whether any of those offers is worth taking.

Verified August 31, 2026. Source: PUCO's Apples to Apples comparison tool at energychoice.ohio.gov. Reviewed at the start of each month.

Pick the right category first

The most common mistake on Apples to Apples is not misreading an offer. It is comparing gas offers against an electricity benchmark, or the reverse, because both markets live on the same site under different categories.

Choose Natural Gas, then your utility — Columbia Gas, Enbridge Gas Ohio or CenterPoint Energy Ohio. If your bill still says Dominion Energy Ohio, you want Enbridge; the company was renamed, not replaced.

Open the PUCO gas comparison

What each column means

ColumnWhat it tells youWhat to watch
RatePrice per Ccf or Mcf for the gas itselfCheck the unit. Mcf is ten times Ccf, and offers are quoted in both
Rate typeFixed for the term, or variable month to monthA variable rate can start below the SCO and float above it after the first month
TermHow long the price holdsA term signed in August covers the winter that decides whether it was a good deal
Early termination feeCost of leaving before the term endsTypically $50–$200. It sets the floor on how wrong the bet can go
Introductory priceA promotional rate for the first monthsThe rate after it, not the promo, is what you are actually buying

What the tool cannot tell you

Apples to Apples is a list of prices. Three things it has no way of knowing decide whether a listed price is good for you.

  1. 1 . Your usage shape. Gas is seasonal in a way electricity is not — most households burn the bulk of the year's therms in four months. An offer's value depends almost entirely on what it costs during those four.
  2. 2 . The forward curve. You are comparing a fixed price against a monthly rate that will move for the length of the term. Comparing it against today's summer SCO makes almost any fixed offer look expensive, and comparing it against January's makes almost any of them look cheap.
  3. 3 . Whether you're already in a contract. Switching out of an existing supplier agreement can trigger a termination fee that outweighs the difference in rate.

The tool is honest and free, and it is the right place to see what is on offer. It is a price list, not a recommendation — and it is not built to tell you to stay where you are, which is often the correct answer.

A fair way to compare

  • Find your current rate on your bill, in the supply or gas cost line, and note the unit.
  • Pull twelve months of usage, not one. Your utility's online account has it.
  • Compare a fixed offer against the average SCO over a full year rather than this month's, and accept that the comparison is a forecast either way.
  • Read the term and the exit fee before the rate. They bound your downside; the rate only sets the upside.

Common questions

Does Apples to Apples cover natural gas in Ohio?

Yes. It's the same PUCO site as electricity, under a separate Natural Gas category, and it lists every certified gas supplier's current offer for your utility.

Is the PUCO gas comparison free?

Yes, and it's neutral. It's the state regulator's own tool — no supplier pays to be listed on it or to appear higher on it.

Which utility do I pick if my bill says Dominion?

Enbridge Gas Ohio. Dominion Energy Ohio was renamed; the territory across Cleveland, Akron and northeast Ohio is unchanged.

Why do some gas offers look ten times cheaper than others?

Because one is quoted per Ccf and the other per Mcf. An Mcf is ten Ccf. Check the unit before comparing two numbers.

More on Ohio natural gas

All Ohio rates by utility