Standard Choice Offer
Dominion offers eligible customers the opportunity to choose a retail natural gas supplier. Customers can choose to be on the Standard Choice Offer (SCO) rate if they don't choose a retail supplier. The SCO rate varies each month and is based on market pricing.
- What is SCO?
The Standard Choice Offer (SCO) is the rate customers who are eligible for Energy Choice, but have not chosen a supplier or joined a municipal aggregation program, pay for their natural gas consumption. These customers are assigned to a retail natural gas supplier and pay the same monthly variable SCO rate, regardless of the assigned supplier.
- Who is eligible for the SCO rate?
Customers are eligible for the SCO rate if they are current on their natural gas bills or if they have arrearages but have not broken more than one payment plan in the previous 12 months, and are not participating in the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP).
- How is the SCO rate determined?
The SCO rate changes monthly based on the monthly closing price of natural gas on the New York Mercantile Exchange (NYMEX), plus a Retail Price Adjustment. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) oversees an annual auction process that determines the Retail Price Adjustment, which reflects the suppliers' cost of delivering the gas from wherever it is produced to Dominion East Ohio's system for delivery to customers.
- I am currently on SCO. Can I participate in Energy Choice?
Yes. Dominion encourages you to review your gas supply options and pick the option with the price and plan that offers the most for your money. For more information, visit www.DominionGasChoice.com to learn about your energy choices.
Other valuable resources and insights can be found on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's Web site, at www.PUCO.ohio.gov; and on the Office of the Ohio Consumers' Counsel Web site, at www.pickocc.org.
- Will Dominion East Ohio make money on this?
No. Dominion East Ohio bills the SCO rate on behalf of the customers' SCO suppliers and makes no profit on the natural gas portion of the bill. Instead, Dominion recovers its operating costs and a return on its investment in pipelines and facilities through its delivery charges.
- Will customers see changes in their service from Dominion East Ohio?
No. Dominion continues to provide its current services, such as billing, meter reading, emergency response and answering bill and service questions.
