Call before you drive
Ohio utility phone lines
For emergencies and most billing questions, the phone is faster than the counter. Local offices handle account setup, payment plans and disconnect notices, not outages or gas leaks.
AEP Ohio customer
Billing and 24/7 outage on the same line. Text OUT to 25543 (AEPOH).
FirstEnergy outage · 24/7
1-888-544-4877. Same line for The Illuminating Co, Ohio Edison and Toledo Edison.
Columbia Gas leak · 24/7
Smell gas? Leave the building first, then call from outside.
Office finder
Find your nearest walk-in office
Filter by region, search by ZIP or town, or switch to the regional grouping view.
Amherst
ZIP 44001
Amherst Utilities Dept (municipal)
480 Park Ave #102
Also serves: City of Amherst, Lorain County.
Hillsboro
ZIP 45133
South Central Power Co. (rural co-op)
110 Danville Pike Rd
Also serves: Highland, Brown, Adams, Clinton counties.
Akron
ZIP 44309
The Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy)
P.O. Box 3687
Also serves: Greater Cleveland, Akron region.
Before you go
What a local office actually handles
Walk-in offices are made for face-to-face billing and account work. Everything urgent is handled by the central phone lines, faster.
What you can do at the counter
- ✓ Pay a bill in cash or with a check, especially useful if you do not have a bank account or want a same-day stamped receipt.
- ✓ Set up a payment plan or budget billing if you have fallen behind, including PIPP (Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus) intake for income-eligible customers.
- ✓ Open or close an account with photo ID, if you have not already done it by phone or online.
- ✓ Resolve a disconnection notice face to face, before the shut-off date.
- ✓ Submit HEAP and Winter Crisis Program documents for low-income heating assistance during the cold-weather rule period.
What the office is not for
- ✗ Reporting a power outage. Call your EDC's 24/7 line (AEP Ohio 1-800-672-2231, Duke 1-800-543-5599, FirstEnergy 1-888-LIGHTSS). Office staff cannot dispatch crews.
- ✗ Reporting a gas leak. Leave the building first, then call 1-800-344-4077 (Columbia Gas) from outside, or your gas distributor's emergency line.
- ✗ Comparing competitive supplier offers. Your EDC is the delivery company. Supplier shopping happens on our supplier directory or on Energy Choice Ohio (the Apples-to-Apples chart).
- ✗ Scheduling a meter install or move. Field crews are dispatched by phone, not from the counter.
- ✗ Walk-in service outside hours. Most offices keep weekday business hours only. After hours, use the phone lines or your utility's mobile app.
Ohio's five investor-owned EDCs at a glance
The five PUCO-regulated electric distribution companies that cover most of the state. The remaining gaps are filled by 25 rural co-ops and 88 municipal utilities.
AEP Ohio
Central, S, E, NW Ohio
Ohio Edison
Akron, Youngstown
Duke Energy
Cincinnati metro
Illuminating Co
Cleveland metro
Toledo Edison
NW Ohio
Insider tip
Your EDC is your delivery company, not your supplier
Whether you're served by AEP Ohio, Duke, FirstEnergy or a municipal, your EDC owns the wires and pipes that bring electricity (and sometimes gas) to your home. The kilowatt-hours themselves can come from your EDC's Standard Service Offer or from any PUCO-certified competitive supplier.
Walking into a utility office to ask about cheaper supply usually won't get you very far, the staff is trained on delivery and billing, not on the competitive market. For supplier shopping, see our Ohio supplier directory or the state-run Energy Choice Ohio Apples-to-Apples chart.
Quick answers
Before you make the trip, the most common questions about Ohio utility offices.
Usually no. Almost everything (start service, stop service, set up auto-pay, request a payment plan, change your mailing address) can be done by phone or in your EDC's mobile app and customer portal. Walk-in offices are most useful for cash payments, in-person help with a disconnection notice, and HEAP or PIPP paperwork.
Most Ohio utility offices keep weekday business hours, typically Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. to around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. ET, closed on weekends and federal holidays. Co-op and municipal offices in smaller towns may close at lunchtime. Hours can vary, so check the specific office page before driving over.
No. Call your EDC's 24/7 outage line. AEP Ohio: 1-800-672-2231. Duke Energy Ohio: 1-800-543-5599. FirstEnergy (Illuminating Co, Ohio Edison, Toledo Edison): 1-888-LIGHTSS. Office staff cannot dispatch crews and the office may itself be in the outage.
Leave the building immediately. Do not flip light switches, do not start your car nearby, do not call from inside. Once outside, call your gas distributor's 24/7 emergency line. Columbia Gas of Ohio: 1-800-344-4077. Dominion Energy Ohio (East Ohio Gas): 1-877-542-2630. Duke Energy Ohio gas: 1-800-634-4300.
Yes, if you live in one of the five investor-owned EDC territories (AEP Ohio, Duke Energy Ohio, The Illuminating Company, Ohio Edison or Toledo Edison). Ohio retail choice has applied since 1999. You can stay on the Standard Service Offer (default), pick a PUCO-certified competitive supplier directly, or enroll in your community's governmental aggregation if one exists. Co-op and municipal customers cannot shop.
Call your competitive supplier first to cancel (watch for any termination fee on a fixed-rate contract), then call your EDC's customer line to confirm the return to SSO. There is no fee to switch back to SSO, and it takes one to two billing cycles. PUCO rules guarantee you can always return to your EDC's default service.
Keep exploring Ohio energy
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