Understand what an average measures
EIA publishes electricity prices using utility and supplier reporting. State figures aggregate different customers, service arrangements and usage patterns. A commercial average can be useful context, but it is not a tariff for a specific meter. Check the table’s data year, release date and sector. Do not use an all-sector average as though it were the price available to every Ohio business.
Compare equivalent cost boundaries
An all-in billed average can contain charges excluded from a supply quote. Conversely, a quote may include a fixed fee that changes the effective rate at low usage. Decide which components you are comparing before doing the arithmetic. Calculate supply costs separately from utility delivery, demand, taxes and other known exclusions. A difference between unlike boundaries is not a demonstrated saving.
Use historical data for a budget range
Historical averages can help challenge a budget assumption or explain how market conditions changed. They cannot prove the best moment to buy or predict the next renewal. Use current account-specific offers and relevant tariffs for a purchasing decision. Keep a dated record of the data downloaded, because an updated EIA table may refer to a different period than the one discussed in an old article.
Investigate your own effective rate
Divide the defined cost subtotal by the corresponding kWh for the same period. State clearly whether the result is supply-only or total-bill. Compare several months to see how fixed fees and peak demand affect low-use periods. If the business has multiple meters, calculate each before combining totals so a high-cost location is not hidden inside the portfolio average.
A practical example
Illustrative explanation, not a customer outcome.
A $2,000 total bill divided by 20,000 kWh is 10¢/kWh all-in. A supplier’s 7¢/kWh energy-only quote is not a documented 3¢ saving: delivery, demand and other exclusions still need to be added on a consistent basis.
Put the review into practice
| Review step | What to record |
|---|---|
| Match the request | Use the same utility, class, quantities, start and term. |
| Resolve exclusions | Ask how every omitted cost is calculated; unknown is not zero. |
| Read the exit terms | Review renewal, cancellation, relocation and usage conditions. |
| Retain the evidence | Save the dated quote, complete agreement and decision rationale. |
Questions worth asking
Is the Ohio average a rate I can enroll in?
No. It is a statistical measure for a reported period.
What should I compare with a supply quote?
A matching default or competing supply offer with the same period, usage basis and included components.
Continue the comparison
Sources and scope
Reviewed October 15, 2026. Follow the source’s own data period, effective dates and current terms. Examples are hypothetical unless expressly identified as a dated published result. A source is context, not a guarantee of eligibility or a product endorsement.