Commercial energy / Buyer guidance
Columbia Gas CHOICE and electricity choice: verify the state and commodity
Distinguish Columbia Gas of Ohio CHOICE from electric shopping and other Columbia service territories. Includes a unit-conversion example.
A gas program cannot establish electric eligibility
Columbia Gas of Ohio CHOICE allows customers to consider certified natural gas suppliers while Columbia continues its gas delivery role. It is not an electricity shopping program. Columbia-branded gas utilities operate in more than one state; a program described for Ohio must not be assumed to govern an account elsewhere.
The existing URL is preserved, but this guide answers the practical identification question. Record the state, exact utility company, service address, commodity and rate class from the bill. Then use that company's program and tariff. For an electric purchase, identify the electricity delivery company independently and check the applicable state's electric rules.
Separate program participation from a good contract
Being able to select a supplier does not prove that a particular supplier product is cheaper than the relevant alternative. Match start date, term, billing units, recurring fees, variable components and cancellation obligations. The Columbia bill explanation is useful for locating supplier charges, but the executed price schedule is needed to verify an offered rate.
Ask what happens when a business moves, closes or changes its consumption. Do not infer that stopping utility service automatically resolves a separate supplier contract. Confirm the requirements of each agreement and preserve any notice or final settlement record.
Worked example: volume and energy are not interchangeable
Illustrative comparison with a deliberately specified heat-content factor: a bill shows 10,000 Ccf and a factor of 1.03 therms per Ccf. The modeled energy quantity is 10,300 therms. At $0.62/therm, commodity cost is $6,386. A separate offer of $0.64/Ccf would produce $6,400 for the same assumed volume, before fees and other differences.
Comparing 0.62 with 0.64 alone would obscure that these are different units. The example's factor is an assumption, not a Columbia tariff conversion. Use the actual bill's factor, period and units; a generic conversion can misstate the cost. The EIA units guide explains the distinction between energy and volume measurements.
The handoff record to keep
| Decision | Verification |
|---|---|
| Which program? | Exact company, state and current account eligibility |
| Which commodity? | Gas supplier and electric supplier recorded separately |
| Which quantity? | Billed unit and any heat-content conversion |
| Which obligation? | Signed term, enrollment, notice and closure provisions |
| Which result? | First invoice reconciled without mixing supply and delivery |
Use the offer comparator's gas mode after converting compatible offers to therms. Do not enter a Ccf price as dollars per therm. If the necessary factor is unavailable, pause the numerical comparison and obtain the record rather than inventing one.
Sources and limits
Columbia Gas of Ohio CHOICE supports the program description. Columbia's bill guide supports account review. All quantities, conversion factors and prices above are hypothetical, not a current program quote.