In short: Most Columbus-area homes get power from AEP Ohio, whose standard-offer homes paid about 19.3¢ per kWh in 2024, the highest of Ohio’s big utilities (EIA). Homes on the City of Columbus or Westerville systems paid 11 to 13¢. AEP customers lost about 4.5 hours of power in 2024, and many shop for cheaper supply.
This page covers what matters for backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging in Columbus and its suburbs. Statewide rules, such as Ohio’s net metering rule, contractor licensing and state prices, are in our Ohio energy guide.
Columbus at a glance
- AEP Ohio: about 19.3¢ per kWh on average in 2024 for homes buying supply from AEP; 272 minutes of outages per customer with major events, 158 without, across its Ohio system (EIA-861, 2024). About 59% of its home customers buy supply from another company.
- City of Columbus Division of Power: about 11.3¢ per kWh; about 15,500 households; 245 outage minutes per customer, reported without a major-event split (EIA-861).
- Westerville Electric: about 13.2¢ per kWh; 57 outage minutes with major events and 21 without, among the lowest in Ohio (EIA-861).
- Sun: about 3.9 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,150 kWh a year per kW of panels.
- Top hazards: Franklin County is “very high” for cold waves and “relatively high” for ice storms, tornadoes, strong wind, hail, flooding, heat waves and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 901 ports at 329 locations in Columbus, plus 103 in Dublin, 40 in Westerville, 32 in Grove City and 28 in Hilliard (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Your bill shows who delivers your power. In AEP Ohio’s area, Ohio lets you buy the supply part from a certified supplier, while AEP still owns the wires and restores outages. Compare offers against AEP’s standard offer on Energy Choice Ohio, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio’s comparison site, before you sign.
- AEP Ohio (most of Columbus, Dublin, Hilliard and Grove City): under AEP’s net metering tariff, a system should be sized to no more than 120% of your needs. When you export more than you use in a month, AEP turns the extra into a money credit at only the generation energy part of its standard rate, with no delivery or transmission value. The credit carries forward on future bills, is not paid out, and is lost if you close the account. If you buy supply from another company, that supplier may offer its own net metering terms, at any rate it chooses. AEP says a complete interconnection application is approved within 35 days if the equipment meets its rules.
- City of Columbus Division of Power (some Columbus homes): the city’s net metering gives credit in kilowatt-hours for the extra power you send back, and surplus credits roll over to later months (Columbus City Code 1163.24). It applies automatically once your interconnection agreement is approved, but customers on combined city utility billing must ask for separate billing first. The city also ran Go Solar Columbus, a group-buying program with Solar United Neighbors, with battery and EV charger add-ons; the 2026 round closed August 16, 2026.
- Westerville Electric: the city utility had 98 net-metered home solar systems in 2024 (EIA). Ask it for its net metering agreement and interconnection steps before you sign a contract.
- Rural edges: co-ops such as South Central Power and Consolidated Cooperative serve parts of Franklin and Delaware counties and set their own rules.
Backup power in Columbus
AEP Ohio’s 2024 numbers show the usual Ohio pattern: about 2.6 hours of outages on normal days, rising to about 4.5 hours once major storms are counted. FEMA rates Franklin County “very high” for cold waves and “relatively high” for ice storms, so the outage to plan for is a winter one, when a gas furnace still needs power for its blower and a basement needs its sump pump.
For short outages, a portable power station covers Wi-Fi, lights, phones and a CPAP. To keep the furnace and sump pump going, look at a home battery or a natural gas standby generator; a portable generator on a transfer switch is the budget route. Compare them in backup power options and size them with the battery backup calculator and the generator sizing tool.
Safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, with the exhaust pointed away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage. Fit battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. A transfer switch or interlock needs a licensed electrician and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Columbus
By our rough estimate, each kW of panels in Columbus makes about 1,150 kWh a year on a flat surface; a south-facing, unshaded roof usually does better. December sunlight is only about a quarter of June’s (NASA POWER). A 6 kW system would make roughly 6,900 kWh. Used at home as it is made, that power would be worth up to about $1,330 a year at AEP’s 2024 average of 19.3¢, much less at the city’s lower rates. Exports earn only the generation part of the rate, so the systems that pay best are sized to your daytime use. These are estimates, not promises.
Model your own roof with the solar potential tool, test quotes in the solar savings calculator, and read how net metering works and solar installation. EIA counted about 11,000 net-metered home solar systems on AEP Ohio’s lines in 2024, more than on any other Ohio utility.
Batteries in Columbus
Because AEP credits exports at only the generation energy rate, a battery that stores midday solar for the evening keeps more of each kilowatt-hour’s value, and it doubles as winter backup. In 2024, 782 AEP Ohio home solar systems already had a battery (EIA). We found no AEP or state battery rebate to confirm. On the city’s system, where credits roll over in kilowatt-hours, the bill case for a battery is weaker and backup is the main reason to add one. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Columbus
Columbus has 901 public charging ports, more than any other Ohio city in our data, and the suburbs add over 200 (AFDC, October 3, 2026). Most drivers still charge at home. At AEP’s 2024 average of 19.3¢ and about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $5.80 per 100 miles by our estimate.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Columbus: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
AEP Ohio’s Plug-In Electric Vehicle rate lowers the distribution part of the bill for off-peak charging. It is for AEP residential customers with a smart meter, either on the whole home or on a separately metered charger, which adds a super off-peak window from midnight to 4 a.m. Supply and transmission charges still apply, so check the AEP page for current rates. A Level 2 charger needs a licensed electrician and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Permits and inspections
- City of Columbus: the Department of Building and Zoning Services publishes a rooftop solar application guide. Rooftop solar needs drawings stamped by an engineer or architect showing the roof can carry the panels. It is allowed by right in all zoning districts, except historic and design review areas such as German Village, Italian Village and Downtown, which need a Certificate of Appropriateness first. The city says complete applications sent by email are usually approved within 3 business days. A city-registered electrical contractor, not the homeowner, pulls the electrical permit.
- Dublin, Westerville, Hilliard, Grove City: ask your city’s building department which office reviews solar, generator and EV charger work.
- Utility approval: AEP, the city or Westerville must approve the connection before solar or a grid-tied battery is turned on.
- HOAs: many suburban subdivisions have associations; get written approval before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Columbus
- Dublin
- Westerville
- Hilliard
- Grove City
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Columbus energy FAQ
Who supplies electricity in Columbus?
AEP Ohio delivers power to most homes in Columbus and the suburbs, and you can buy the supply from AEP or a certified supplier. Some Columbus homes are on the city’s Division of Power, and Westerville runs its own electric utility. Your bill shows which applies; solar rules differ between them.
How does AEP Ohio credit extra solar power?
Monthly exports become a money credit at only the generation energy part of AEP’s standard rate, not the full retail price. The credit carries forward but is not paid out. If you buy supply from another company, ask whether it offers its own net metering contract, because suppliers set their own terms.
Do I need a permit for solar panels in Columbus?
Yes. The city’s Building and Zoning Services reviews stamped drawings showing your roof can carry the panels, and a city-registered electrical contractor pulls the electrical permit. Homes in historic districts such as German Village need a Certificate of Appropriateness first. Suburbs have their own building departments.
Is there a cheaper rate for charging an EV at home in Columbus?
AEP Ohio customers with a smart meter can enroll in its Plug-In Electric Vehicle rate, which cuts the distribution charge for off-peak use, with a midnight to 4 a.m. window for separately metered chargers. Supply charges still apply. City of Columbus and Westerville customers should ask their utility.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. AEP Ohio net metering tariff and quick start guide, and Plug-In Electric Vehicle rate page; City of Columbus Division of Power green energy page; City of Columbus rooftop solar application guide; all read October 3, 2026. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.