Cincinnati Electricity Rates 2026

Cincinnati is served by Duke Energy Ohio for electricity delivery — but that does not mean you are stuck paying Duke's supply rate. Ohio deregulated its electricity market, which means every Cincinnati residential and commercial customer can choose a competitive electricity supplier for the supply portion of their bill. Duke Energy continues to maintain the poles, wires, and infrastructure, but the electricity commodity itself can come from any licensed Ohio Retail Electric Service (CRES) provider.

Duke Energy Ohio's current Price to Compare (PTC) — the default supply rate — is 10.08 cents per kWh as of April 2026. Competitive suppliers in the Duke Energy Ohio territory offer fixed-rate plans starting from 7.49 cents per kWh, representing potential savings for a typical household using 750 to 1,000 kWh per month. The PTC is updated quarterly by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and can be found at puco.ohio.gov.

Suppliers licensed to serve Duke Energy Ohio (Cincinnati) customers include Constellation Energy, Direct Energy, Spark Energy, NextEra Energy Services, Verde Energy, and Inspire Clean Energy. Each provider offers different contract lengths (typically 6 to 24 months), rate structures (fixed or variable), and renewable content options (standard grid mix, 50% renewable, or 100% renewable).

Cincinnati Tip: Under Ohio law, you have a right to switch suppliers at no cost once your contract expires. Duke Energy cannot charge you a switching fee. If you are currently on Duke's standard "price to compare" rate with no third-party supplier, you are already eligible to switch and may be paying more than necessary for the supply portion of your bill.