Skip to main content

You DO NOT have to open your home’s front door when energy marketers come knocking. Your doorstep is not the place where you can make well-informed decisions about buying energy. In fact, a rash decision on energy supply may cost you hundreds of dollars. To protect consumers, the state should ban door-to-door sales for marketing energy.

Accepting an offer at the door from an energy marketer can be costly. 

Learn more about energy choice by reviewing OCC’s How to Make Wise Energy Choices fact sheet. https://www.occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/wise-energy-choices. See below for more tips about energy marketers.

block the knockWant to be left alone?

You don’t have to open your home’s front door when energy marketers come knocking. And you have the right to contact your electric and gas utilities to stop them from sharing your personal information with energy marketers.

Consumers should use caution when confronted with door-to-door sales of energy. Your best option may be to block the knock, by not answering your door.  Decisions about buying energy are complex and best made after careful research of information not immediately available with a marketer at your door. Do NOT provide a copy of your utility bill or share any personal identifying information with an energy marketer at your door.  Unfortunately, there have been instances where deceptive marketers have used consumers’ information to enroll them in an energy contract without their permission.

Ohio Administrative Code sections 4901:1-21-06(D)(1)(j) and 4901:1-29-05(E)(3) require a marketer to leave the premises of a customer when requested to do so by the customer. 

The Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council's (NOPEC) Do Not Knock registry (available in certain communities) helps keep door-to-door solicitors away. View this NOPEC web page for information about Do Not Knock: https://www.nopec.org/residents/do-not-knock/ . Your local government may have additional information about no-soliciting signage or programs to limit door-to-door sales in your community.  

When making your review of energy choices, strongly consider choosing your utility’s “standard offer” (or a government aggregation program) for your energy needs. Your natural gas utility’s “standard offer” has been an economical and conservative way to purchase natural gas. Both electric and gas standard offers provide market-based prices established by competitive auctions.

Beware of scammers seeking to steal your money regarding utility services. You can learn more about protecting your family from utility-related scams, at this OCC web page: https://www.occ.ohio.gov/factsheet/how-avoid-utility-related-scams-and-…

You have the right to remove your name from marketing lists

Finally, you have the right to STOP electric and gas utilities from sharing your personal contact information with energy marketers. Here are phone numbers and websites for contacting your utilities to enforce your right to keep your personal contact information private from energy marketers. 


Customer Service Telephone numbers:

Electric:

  • AEP – 1-800-672-2231
  • AES Ohio (formerly Dayton Power & Light) – 1-800-433-8500
  • Duke Energy Ohio – 1-800-544-6900
  • The Illuminating Company – 1-800-589-3101
  • Ohio Edison – 1-800-633-4766
  • Toledo Edison – 1-800-447-3333

Natural Gas:

  • Columbia Gas of Ohio – 1-800-344-4077
  • Dominion East Ohio – 1-800-362-7557
  • Duke Energy Ohio – 1-800-544-6900
  • CenterPoint Energy (formerly Vectren) – 1-800-227-1376

Utility Websites:

Electric:

Natural Gas:

122123