Ohio Bill Explanation of Terms

How Bills are Determined

Electricity is measured and priced in kilowatt-hours (kWh). You are billed according to the number of kilowatt-hours you use as measured by your electric meter.

When you pay for a kWh of electricity, you are buying 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour. As an example, one kWh is the amount of electricity a 100-watt light bulb will use in ten hours.

Bill Due Dates

Your electric bill is due on or before the due date. To avoid late payment charges, pay your bill on or before the due date shown on your bill.

Late Payment

Unfortunately, at times customers might be late in paying their electric bills. When this happens, we urge our customers to contact us to avoid a disconnection of electric service. We consider disconnecting electric service for nonpayment a last resort and would rather work out payment arrangements.

If you need to speak to a Cutomer Service Representative regarding a late payment, please contact us.

Why Bills are Estimated

Our meter readers have assigned routes and schedules. At times, severe weather conditions or other unforeseen problems might keep them from reading all the meters on their routes. When this happens, we estimate your electricity usage during that billing period based on your previous electric bills. Any difference between your estimated usage and actual usage is automatically adjusted the next time your meter is read.

Your bill may be estimated if a dog on or near your property was blocking the meter reader's path to your electric meter. To help ensure their safety, meter readers will not attempt to read an electric meter if there is a dog in the vicinity of the meter. We ask your cooperation in keeping your dog leashed or confined to prevent our employees from being exposed to unnecessary risk.

You can avoid estimated bills by submitting your meter reading online. Or, if you would rather submit a meter reading card by mail, contact us to request the appropriate form.

Bill Terms and Definitions

  • Business Distribution Credit. Applied during the winter billing period for non-residential electric heat and/or water heating customers on a qualifying rate.
  • Bypassable Generation and Transmission Related Component. Charges for purchasing power and delivering it through the transmission system. These charges are avoided when switching to a Certified Retail Electric Service provider.
  • Cost Recovery Charges. Charges to recover previously incurred costs.
  • Customer Charge. Monthly charge that offsets costs for billing, meter reading, equipment, and service line maintenance.
  • Distribution Related Component. Charge for moving electricity over distribution lines to a service location.
  • Economic Development Component. Charges related to economic development support.
  • Estimated Reading. On the months we do not read a meter, we calculate the bill based on past electrical usage.
  • Kilovolt Amperes (KVA). Volts times amperes divided by 1,000.  Actual measured power used for circuit sizing.
  • Kilovolt-Amperes Reactive or kilovar (KVAR). The portion of electricity that establishes and sustains the electric and magnetic fields of ac equipment. It is used to control voltage on the transmission network.
  • Kilowatt (KW). Unit of electric power representing a rate of consumption equivalent to 1,000 watts.
  • KWH (Kilowatt Hour). A unit of measure for electricity usage equal to 1,000 watts used for one hour.
  • Late Payment Charge. A charge added to the bill on balances owed after the Due Date.
  • Price to Compare (PTC). The utility’s price per KWH for bypassable generation and transmission; can be compared with the price offered by another supplier.
  • Residential Distribution Credit. A distribution credit for a qualifying rate applied to all usage over 500 KWH during the winter billing period.
  • Residential Generation Credit. A credit for a qualifying rate and usage applied to all usage during the billing periods beginning October 31 and ending March 31. (The Illuminating Company)
  • Residential Generation Credit. A credit for a qualifying rate and usage applied to all usage over 1,250 kWh during the billing periods beginning October 31 and ending March 31. (Ohio Edison)
  • Residential Generation Credit. A credit for a qualifying rate and usage applied to all usage over 2,000 kWh during the billing periods beginning October 31 and ending March 31. All-Electric apartments receive the credit on all usage up to 2,000 kWh during the billing periods beginning October 31 and ending March 31. (Toledo Edison)
  • Residential Non-Standard Credit. A generation credit for a qualifying rate applied to all usage over 500 KWH during the winter billing period.
  • School Distribution Credit. A distribution credit that replaces the former Energy for Education II Program.