Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Rate Selection Guide
Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio, now operating as CenterPoint Energy Ohio, is a natural gas distribution utility serving roughly 1.4 million customers across west-central Ohio. As a regulated local distribution company under PUCO oversight, it delivers gas while supply is open to competition through Ohio's Energy Choice program, giving commercial customers multiple data-access and procurement options.
Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Rate Schedule Comparison
| Schedule | Type | Rate | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| General Sales Service | commercial | Customer charge + volumetric delivery + riders + SCO commodity (~$0.4388/ccf, May 2026) | Small/mid commercial customers who prefer the regulated default commodity |
| General Transportation (Choice) | commercial | Regulated delivery charges only; commodity billed by supplier | Commercial customers shopping for fixed-price supply |
| Large / Mercantile Transportation | industrial | Transportation delivery + demand/balancing components; competitive commodity | Large industrial loads (10,000+ Mcf/yr) optimizing supply and balancing |
| Distribution Replacement Rider | commercial | ~$14.30/month fixed (per recent filings) | Applies to applicable distribution customers; funds pipeline replacement |
Market Overview
Distribution service is regulated by PUCO and provided exclusively by CenterPoint Energy Ohio. The gas commodity is competitive under Ohio's Energy Choice program: customers may take the PUCO-approved Standard Choice Offer (SCO) or contract with a certified Competitive Retail Natural Gas supplier. C&I customers commonly negotiate fixed-price supply to hedge commodity volatility while delivery charges remain regulated.
Need to pull your actual usage data to compare rates? See the Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Data Access Guide →
Current Rate Schedules
CenterPoint Energy Ohio rates have two components: regulated delivery (distribution) charges set by PUCO, and the gas commodity, which is competitive. Delivery charges include a fixed monthly customer charge plus volumetric distribution charges and riders such as the Distribution Replacement Rider (DRR, ~$14.30/month). The commodity is billed at the monthly Standard Choice Offer (SCO) rate (e.g., $0.4388/ccf for May 2026) unless the customer has a Choice supplier contract. A base distribution rate case (PUCO Case 24-0832-GA-AIR) was settled in July 2025, resulting in an estimated net revenue increase of roughly $25-35 million. Exact per-class delivery charges are set in the Ohio Gas Tariff; verify current figures there.
Effective: May 1, 2026 · Full Tariff Book →
| Schedule | Type | Applicability | Structure | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| General Sales Service (Commercial) | commercial | Non-residential customers taking bundled sales service from the utility. | Fixed monthly customer charge + volumetric distribution charge + riders (incl. DRR ~$14.30/mo) + SCO commodity (e.g., $0.4388/ccf, May 2026) unless served by a Choice supplier. Per-unit delivery charges set in the Ohio Gas Tariff. | — |
| General Transportation Service (Choice / Transportation) | commercial | Commercial customers who buy gas from a certified Choice supplier and use the utility for delivery only. | Regulated distribution (delivery) charges only - fixed customer charge plus volumetric delivery and riders; commodity is billed separately by the supplier. Charges per the Ohio Gas Tariff. | — |
| Large / Mercantile Transportation Service | industrial | Large commercial and industrial (mercantile) customers with high annual volumes (e.g., 10,000+ Mcf/year), typically pooling load with a supplier. | Negotiated/regulated transportation delivery charges with demand-related components and balancing/pooling provisions; commodity supplied competitively. See the Ohio Gas Tariff for applicable transportation schedules. | — |
| Standard Choice Offer (SCO) Commodity | commercial | Default commodity price for non-shopping customers across rate classes. | Monthly NYMEX settlement converted to a price per Mcf (1.07 Btu factor) plus a retail price adjustment of $1.65/Mcf (effective Apr 2026-Mar 2027). Example monthly SCO: $0.4388/ccf (May 2026). | — |
Rate Recommendations by Use Case
Mid-size commercial customer on the default commodity
A commercial customer riding the monthly SCO can reduce price volatility by shopping for a fixed-price Choice supplier while delivery charges stay the same.
Delivery is regulated and identical across suppliers, so the commodity is the only negotiable lever. A fixed contract hedges NYMEX swings.
- Compare suppliers at energychoice.ohio.gov
- Watch for teaser rates and auto-renewal to variable pricing
- Confirm consolidated vs. dual billing
Large industrial / mercantile load
High-volume facilities should evaluate transportation service and direct gas procurement with balancing/pooling to optimize total cost.
Transportation customers buy commodity competitively and can negotiate supply and balancing terms that bundled service does not offer.
- Confirm annual volume thresholds (e.g., 10,000+ Mcf/yr)
- Negotiate balancing and pooling provisions
- Set up EDI/CRIP data exchange with your supplier
Energy manager needing automated data
For portfolio benchmarking and procurement, automate data collection via Nectar (docs.nectarclimate.com) or, for suppliers, via the UHIT API/CRIP.
The portal only exposes monthly PDFs/graphs; Nectar and supplier APIs deliver structured multi-account data.
- Use Nectar for cross-utility portfolios (docs.nectarclimate.com)
- Certified suppliers can use UHIT API or CRIP with LOA
- Plan for 1-2 billing-cycle data lag
Historical Rate Trends
CenterPoint Energy Ohio's delivery rates are periodically reset through PUCO base-rate cases and adjusted between cases through riders. The commodity (SCO) changes monthly with the gas market.
July 11, 2025
Stipulation filed in PUCO Case 24-0832-GA-AIR; settlement set an estimated net distribution revenue increase of roughly $25-35M, down from the ~$100M originally requested.
net +$25-35M revenueMay 1, 2026
Standard Choice Offer commodity set at approximately $0.4388/ccf for the May 2026 billing month (varies monthly with NYMEX).
market-basedOverall trend: Rising. The 2024-2025 base distribution rate case (Case 24-0832-GA-AIR) sought ~$100M and settled in July 2025 for an estimated net increase of roughly $25-35M, reflecting major pipeline-replacement and advanced-meter investment.
Next expected change: Monthly SCO commodity updates continue; the next base-rate adjustment would follow a future PUCO filing. Riders such as the DRR update on their regular cycles.
Cost Optimization Strategies
Because delivery charges are regulated and identical regardless of supplier, C&I cost optimization at CenterPoint Energy Ohio centers on managing the competitive commodity and on usage/efficiency measures that reduce volumetric delivery and commodity charges.
Shop the commodity via Energy Choice
For: All commercial and industrial customers
Compare certified CRNG suppliers on the Apples to Apples chart and lock a fixed-price contract to hedge against monthly SCO volatility.
Evaluate transportation vs. sales service
For: Mid/large commercial and industrial
Larger C&I loads can take General Transportation Service and procure gas directly, often improving commodity terms and balancing flexibility.
Reduce volumetric usage
For: All customers
Efficiency measures (high-efficiency boilers, controls, weatherization) cut both delivery and commodity volumetric charges.
Centralize multi-site usage data
For: Multi-site commercial portfolios
Use the My Account portal plus Nectar (docs.nectarclimate.com) to consolidate usage across premises for benchmarking and supplier RFPs.
To implement these strategies, you need your 15-minute interval data. Learn how to download Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) interval data →
Deregulated Market Shopping
Ohio's Energy Choice program lets CenterPoint Energy Ohio gas customers buy the commodity from certified Competitive Retail Natural Gas (CRNG) suppliers. Delivery charges stay regulated and unchanged regardless of supplier. The default for non-shopping customers is the PUCO-approved Standard Choice Offer (SCO), which is priced monthly off the NYMEX settlement plus a retail price adjustment (currently $1.65/Mcf, effective April 2026 through March 2027).
How to Compare Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Suppliers
- 01Compare certified suppliers on the state Apples to Apples chart at energychoice.ohio.gov
- 02Confirm the offer is for the CenterPoint Energy Ohio (Vectren) service territory
- 03Compare fixed vs. variable pricing, term length, and cancellation fees
- 04Enroll directly with the supplier; delivery service continues with CenterPoint
- 05Verify the supplier rate appears on your next CenterPoint statement
Contract Terms for Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Supply Agreements
- Fixed-price terms commonly run 6-36 months
- Variable rates track market and can change monthly
- SCO is the regulated default for customers who do not shop
- Early-termination fees may apply on fixed contracts
Common Pitfalls When Shopping Vectren Energy Delivery of Ohio (CenterPoint Energy Ohio) Rates
- Introductory teaser rates that roll to higher variable pricing
- Automatic renewal clauses at month-to-month variable rates
- Distribution charges are not negotiable - only the commodity is
- Confirm whether billing is consolidated (one CenterPoint bill) or dual
Frequently Asked Questions
Can my business get interval (hourly/15-minute) gas data from CenterPoint Energy Ohio?▾
No. The utility uses Automated Meter Reading, which collects daily reads internally but exposes only monthly usage (CCF) to customers. There is no 15-minute interval gas data, and Green Button is not supported for gas. Advanced meter deployment is underway but does not yet provide customer interval access.
How does my commercial business access usage data programmatically?▾
Individual customers cannot call the API directly. Certified competitive retailers can use the UHIT REST API or the CRIP portal (with a Letter of Authorization) to retrieve historical monthly usage. For self-service, customers use My Account or Nectar's API (docs.nectarclimate.com).
Should we shop for a gas supplier or stay on the Standard Choice Offer?▾
Delivery charges are regulated and identical regardless of supplier, so only the commodity is negotiable. The SCO is repriced monthly off NYMEX (e.g., ~$0.4388/ccf in May 2026). A fixed-price Choice contract can hedge volatility; compare options at energychoice.ohio.gov.
What is the Distribution Replacement Rider?▾
The DRR is a charge (recently about $14.30/month) that recovers the cost of replacing aging bare-steel and cast-iron pipelines. It appears on top of the base customer charge and applies to applicable distribution customers regardless of supplier.
Where are the exact per-unit delivery charges for my rate class?▾
They are published in the Ohio Gas Tariff PDF on CenterPoint's Rates & Tariffs page. Base distribution rates were reset following the July 2025 settlement of PUCO Case 24-0832-GA-AIR, so verify current figures in the tariff book.
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