Ohio EV vs gas · Gas October 12, 2026 · Electricity rates 2025
Yes, by a lot. On The Illuminating Company (FirstEnergy)'s average home rate, charging an EV costs the same per mile as gas at $1.31 a gallon. Gas in the Cleveland-Lorain-Elyria area averaged $3.90 on October 12, 2026, so 1,000 miles a month costs about $49 to charge versus $145 in gas: roughly $96 a month back.
Your electric utility sets what charging costs, so here are the numbers for each one serving Cleveland.
Serves most of Cleveland and its suburbs
Average home rate 16.2 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.31 a gallon: about $49 for 1,000 miles versus $145 in gas.
We found no current EV rebate or charging credit from The Illuminating Company in our latest review of Ohio programs.
Serves parts of the city of Cleveland
Average home rate 16.4 cents per kWh (2025). Charging costs the same per mile as gas at $1.33 a gallon: about $49 for 1,000 miles versus $145 in gas.
We found no current EV rebate or charging credit from Cleveland Public Power in our latest review of Ohio programs.
Many Illuminating Company customers buy the power itself through a community aggregation program or a supplier, so their rate differs; the number above is the 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 Cleveland, gas would have to fall below $1.31 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 The Illuminating Company leaves about $951 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
Use the savings calculator or see which EVs fit how you drive.
Yes. Charging at home on The Illuminating Company (16.2 cents per kWh, 2025) costs about $49 per 1,000 miles. The same miles in a 27 mpg car cost about $145 at the $3.90 Cleveland gas average on October 12, 2026. Ohio's $200/yr EV fee still leaves about $951 a year in your favor.
About $1.31 to $1.33 a gallon, depending on your utility: $1.31 on The Illuminating Company and $1.33 on Cleveland Public Power. That is what a 27 mpg car would need to pay to match the cost per mile of charging at home.
At home, about $49 per 1,000 miles on The Illuminating Company (16.2 cents per kWh) or $49 per 1,000 miles on Cleveland Public Power (16.4 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 Cleveland in our latest review. Check your utility's site for charger offers.
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