In Ohio, marketers can start offering competing contracts for electricity today, although customers can't actually switch suppliers until their next billing cycle begins. Not all Ohio residents will experience competition at first. Marketers primarily have set up shop in FirstEnergy Corp.'s service area across northern Ohio, where customers pay the highest rates for electricity in the state. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has certified 30 marketers. Most will offer service to only commercial and industrial customers for now, but five have been certified to offer residential service.
Information also is stuffed in with monthly bills.
The campaign is being produced and paid for by the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the PUCO and the state's investor-owned utility companies. New Power Co., a Purchase, N.Y.-based energy supplier that will compete in Ohio, said it has offered frequent flier miles or a free month of service to entice customers in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. It is still developing its advertising plan in Ohio, its third market area, spokeswoman Gael Doar said. Those 131 communities, most in FirstEnergy territory, hope to save money for individuals by pooling their buying power. State officials also want to get the word out about how Ohio's deregulation plan differs from California's plan, which has been blamed for shortages and high prices.