States with full choice
13
Plus DC
Highest share served by suppliers
62%
Massachusetts
Texas homes with a retail provider
7.05 million
EIA, 2025
Guides on this site
39
State pages, switching guides and Texas topics
How retail choice works
Before choice, one company generated, delivered and billed your power. In choice states those jobs are split. A delivery utility keeps the lines, the meter and the outage crews, and it is regulated. A supplier sells you the energy, sets the supply price and sends or shares the bill. You can switch suppliers. You cannot switch delivery utilities.
If you do not choose, you receive the utility's default supply, often called standard offer, basic service or default service. Its price is set by a process that your regulator oversees, and it changes on a schedule.
Read our guide to what a retail electric provider is for the parts of a bill and who handles what.
Where you can choose
| State | Choice | Homes served by a supplier | Default service is called |
|---|---|---|---|
| Massachusetts | Yes | 61.8% | basic service |
| Texas | Yes | 55.1% | the provider of last resort rate |
| Ohio | Yes | 49.8% | standard service offer |
| Rhode Island | Yes | 24.8% | standard offer service |
| Pennsylvania | Yes | 22.4% | default service, also called the price to compare |
| Illinois | Yes | 20.7% | utility supply price, also called the price to compare |
| New Hampshire | Yes | 17.8% | default energy service |
| Connecticut | Yes | 15.3% | standard service |
| District of Columbia | Yes | 8.8% | standard offer service |
| Maine | Yes | 7.3% | standard offer service |
| New York | Yes | 7.1% | utility supply charge |
| New Jersey | Yes | 6.1% | Basic Generation Service |
| Delaware | Yes | 5.6% | standard offer service |
| Maryland | Yes | 5.6% | standard offer service |
| Michigan | Limited | 0.0% | full service rate |
Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, Form EIA-861 (final 2025 data), retail power marketers, residential. A low share does not mean choice is unavailable, only that few households use it.
- Massachusetts62%
- Texas55%
- Ohio50%
- Rhode Island25%
- Pennsylvania22%
- Illinois21%
- New Hampshire18%
- Connecticut15%
Switching guides by state
Each guide lists the steps, the rules we checked on the regulator's own pages and the points you still need to confirm before you sign.
- Switching guideHow to switch in ConnecticutSteps and checked rules for Connecticut.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in DelawareSteps and checked rules for Delaware.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in the District of ColumbiaSteps and checked rules for the District of Columbia.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in IllinoisSteps and checked rules for Illinois.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in MaineSteps and checked rules for Maine.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in MarylandSteps and checked rules for Maryland.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in MassachusettsSteps and checked rules for Massachusetts.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in MichiganSteps and checked rules for Michigan.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in New HampshireSteps and checked rules for New Hampshire.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in New JerseySteps and checked rules for New Jersey.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in New YorkSteps and checked rules for New York.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in OhioSteps and checked rules for Ohio.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in PennsylvaniaSteps and checked rules for Pennsylvania.Open
- Switching guideHow to switch in Rhode IslandSteps and checked rules for Rhode Island.Open
Texas has its own set of topic pages. Start with Texas electricity plans.
How to compare offers safely
- Find your default price. It is on your bill or your regulator's site. It is the number any offer has to beat over a full year.
- Get the full terms. Ask for the price, the type (fixed or variable), the term, every fee and the early termination fee, in writing.
- Check the end of the term. What the price becomes, and how and when you are told.
- Use an official comparison site first where your state runs one. Many state pages link to theirs.
- Keep copies of the contract and any confirmation, and note any cancellation window.
Words you will meet
| Term | What it means |
|---|---|
| Supplier or provider | The company that sells you the energy. |
| Delivery utility | The regulated company that owns the lines and meter and restores power. |
| Default service | What you receive if you do not choose. It may be called standard offer, basic service or the price to compare. |
| Aggregation | A town or county buys power for residents, who are enrolled unless they opt out. |
| Fixed rate | A price that stays the same for a set term. |
| Variable rate | A price that can change, often every month. |
Red flags to walk away from
- A caller or visitor who says they are from your utility, or says you must switch.
- Pressure to sign today, or a request for your account number on a doorstep before you have seen a contract.
- An offer that will not give you the price, the term and the fees in writing.
- A plan that looks cheap only because it starts at a low introductory price and then rises.
Retail electricity choice questions
Which states let you choose your electricity provider?
Households in 13 states and DC can choose a retail electricity supplier: Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas. Michigan has a capped program that is not open to every household.
What changes when I switch electricity suppliers?
Only the supply part of your bill changes. Your local utility still delivers the power, owns the lines, reads the meter and restores service after an outage.
Is switching electricity providers risky?
It is low risk if you compare the price against your utility default, read the contract and check the term and fees. The risks come from variable prices, renewal rates and hard sales tactics.
How do I know if my state allows electricity choice?
Look at the table on this page, or check your bill. If a company other than your utility is listed as your supplier, you already use choice.
Does choosing a supplier lower my bill?
Not always. A supplier offer can be lower or higher than the utility default. Compare against the current default price over a full year, not against last year’s bill.