Ohio EV vs gas · Gas October 12, 2026 · Electricity rates 2025
Yes, by a lot. On Duke Energy Ohio's average home rate, charging an EV costs the same per mile as gas at $1.36 a gallon. Gas in the Cincinnati area (Ohio side) averaged $3.89 on October 12, 2026, so 1,000 miles a month costs about $50 to charge versus $144 in gas: roughly $94 a month back.
What you pay for power sets what charging costs. Here are the numbers for Cincinnati.
Serves Cincinnati and southwest Ohio
Average home rate 16.8 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.36 a gallon: about $50 for 1,000 miles versus $144 in gas.
We found no current EV rebate or charging credit from Duke Energy Ohio in our latest review of Ohio programs.
Many homes buy the power itself through a community aggregation program or a supplier, so their rate differs; this is Duke Energy Ohio's standard rate.
Gas prices jumped in 2026 when the war with Iran disrupted oil shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Home electricity is priced by utilities under state regulators and moves far more slowly, so the gap tends to widen when gas spikes. For a 27 mpg car to cost less per mile than charging at home in Cincinnati, gas would have to fall below $1.36 a gallon.
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Ohio charges EV owners an extra $200/yr at registration ($150/yr for plug-in hybrids). Even after that, charging on Duke Energy Ohio leaves about $924 a year in your favor at 12,000 miles.
No Ohio EV rebate and a $200/yr EV fee. AEP Ohio's EV rates only cut the delivery part of off-peak power, and Duke's charger credit is not offered in Ohio.
Ohio EV incentives · EV fees by state
We assume 1,000 miles a month, a typical new EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles, a 27 mpg gas car, and home charging at each utility's average residential rate, which includes its fixed monthly charges. An overnight or EV rate is often cheaper than that average, and public fast charging costs much more. Treat this as the honest average, not your bill.
Sources: EIA Form 861, 2025 (each utility’s residential revenue divided by residential sales), AAA metro gas price averages (regular unleaded), October 12, 2026
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Yes. Charging at home on Duke Energy Ohio (16.8 cents per kWh, 2025) costs about $50 per 1,000 miles. The same miles in a 27 mpg car cost about $144 at the $3.89 Cincinnati gas average on October 12, 2026. Ohio's $200/yr EV fee still leaves about $924 a year in your favor.
About $1.36 a gallon. That is what a 27 mpg car would need to pay to match the cost per mile of charging at home on Duke Energy Ohio.
At home, about $50 per 1,000 miles on Duke Energy Ohio (16.8 cents per kWh), for a typical EV that uses 30 kWh per 100 miles. Public fast charging costs much more per kWh than home charging, so these numbers assume you charge at home most of the time.
Ohio has no state EV purchase rebate right now, and we found no utility EV rebate for Cincinnati in our latest review. Check your utility's site for charger offers.
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