Energy Choice

Energy Choice allows you to comparison shop for natural gas just like you do for other goods and services. With Energy Choice, customers from large manufacturers to residential homeowners are able to shop for natural gas supply options from a diverse group of competitive retail suppliers certified by the PUCO. Although you buy your gas from a retail supplier under this program, Enbridge Gas will continue to deliver your natural gas; respond to service and emergency needs; read your meter and provide customer service and billing.

Participants must be Enbridge Gas Ohio customers and they must be current with their payments (no past-due balances outside of a payment plan) to Enbridge Gas Ohio in order to participate in the Energy Choice program. Customers with arrears that have not broken more than one payment plan in the past 12-months may participate in Energy Choice but will be placed on a new payment plan and must remain current. Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Plus and Graduate PIPP Plus customers are ineligible to participate in the Energy Choice program.

1. Select a certified natural gas supplier and enroll in an Energy Choice agreement with that supplier.
2. Join a Governmental Aggregation, or "group buying," program if one is available to you.
3. Default to or choose service under the Standard Choice Offer (SCO), if eligible. (Residential and small nonresidential customers will default to SCO if a natural gas supplier or Aggregation program is not selected.)
4. Default to service under the Monthly Retail Rate (medium and large nonresidential customers). *Medium nonresidential customers can elect the SCO instead of the MRR.

“Certified natural gas suppliers” are competitive retail natural gas suppliers that have been certified by the PUCO to participate in the Energy Choice program.

Before you make any changes to your Energy Choice agreement, please review our Supplier question checklist located within the “Choose” tab.

Energy Choice is an opportunity to manage your gas costs through selection of a rate plan that works for you. If you are eligible to participate in the Energy Choice program and do not choose a supplier, one will still be assigned to you. You will still receive the same reliable natural gas service, but you won’t be selecting from whom you buy the natural gas. Although customers are not required to shop, Enbridge Gas Ohio encourages customers to review available options periodically to ensure they are making informed decisions about their natural gas costs.

Absolutely not. Although you purchase your gas from a retail supplier, Enbridge Gas Ohio will continue to deliver the natural gas to your home, respond to any emergencies, and provide customer service.

You may be able to enroll directly with the supplier by telephone, mail, fax, Internet or through a door-to-door representative. Whichever method is used, it is critical that you obtain a copy of your contract and keep it through the duration of your service contract. Once you've enrolled with a supplier, the supplier will notify Enbridge Gas Ohio of the switch. We will then mail you a letter confirming your choice to purchase natural gas from a competitive retail natural gas supplier, the supplier chosen and the date the switch will become effective. You then have seven business days from the postmark date on that letter to cancel your contract without penalty. To cancel the contract, you must contact Enbridge Gas Ohio.

There are many factors that influence the price of gas, including weather, the popularity of natural gas in homes and businesses, supply and demand, and competing fuels such as oil, coal, and renewable forms of energy.

Yes. You can switch to another natural gas supplier at any time, but if you are receiving service under an Energy Choice agreement or through a governmental aggregation program, there may be penalties for doing so. Depending on the supplier, you may be charged a cancellation fee to end your contract early. Check your contract to determine the amount of the fee. If you move directly from one natural gas supplier to another, the actual switch may take up to two billing cycles. At no time during the switch should you experience a disruption in your natural gas service. There is no termination fee to switch from the SCO or MRR to an Energy Choice agreement with a selected supplier.

Some low-cost or no-cost ways to save energy and money include:

• Adjust the thermostat temperature settings: You can save as much as 1 percent for every degree you lower your thermostat.
• Furnace efficiency: Newer, higher-efficiency furnaces use less natural gas than older, less-efficient furnaces.
• Home insulation: Well-insulated homes use less natural gas for heating than poorly insulated homes.

Yes, there are a number of programs that income-eligible residential customers can apply for including HEAP, PIPP Plus and EnergyShare Customers can apply for HEAP and PIPP Plus by calling the Ohio Department of Development at 800-282-0880. To apply for EnergyShare, customers can contact their local Salvation Army.

Opting out of supplier lists can be performed by signing into Manage Your Account. Once you sign in, navigate to Edit Account Settings and select “Opt-In/Out of Supplier Lists”. Customers who opt out of supplier lists will block their information from being released for Energy Choice and governmental aggregation solicitations. However, this does not prevent a supplier from getting the customer's information from another source or using information from a previous list. Phone numbers are not included on supplier lists.