Ohio
Renters react after Ohio Supreme Court rules on submetering
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — An Ohio Supreme Court ruling could lead to some relief for Ohioans’ electric bill.
The court ruled that submetering companies must be regulated like all traditional utilities. Advocates say the move is a victory for customers who may have been stuck with high bills and few protections.
Columbus renter Mitchell Bienvenue shared his experience on social media after receiving electric bills well over $300 for his two-bedroom apartment and couldn’t get a clear explanation as to why.
“My parents live in a four-bedroom house down the street, and their bill was less than half of ours, and I thought that was wild,” Bienvenue said. “It got me questioning it. It got me looking into it.”
Bienvenue’s research led him to find out that his new apartment complex’s utilities are through a submetering company, American Power & Light.
Submetering is the practice in which a third party buys electricity and gas from a public utility and resells it to consumers, often leading to unexplained higher costs and excessive fees. It’s a common practice at many apartments and condos.
“I wasn’t told any of this before signing the lease,” Bienvenue said. “I don’t think it’s right that a submetering company can just charge whatever to apartment renters when they have no control and no say in what happens.”
The long-standing practice has gone unregulated, but the Ohio Supreme Court’s decision changes that. The ruling says the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has the authority to regulate submetering companies.
In this case, the court found that Nationwide Energy Partners (NEP) is subject to PUCO’s jurisdiction because “jurisdictional statute defines a public utility to include an entity ‘engaged in the business of supplying electricity … to consumers within this state,’” Justice Patrick DeWine wrote in the opinion. “The record in this case shows that NEP does exactly that.”
“The law is the law,” Maureen Willis, with the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, said. “If they’re providing essential utility service, they have to abide by that law and follow the rules.”
The Ohio Consumers’ Council applauded the decision. Willis says it gives critical protections to consumers, but there’s still work that needs to be done.
“We’d like to see immediate compliance, and we’d like to see real oversight by the Public Utilities Commission,” Willis said. “That may take some time, but it is something that has been long overdue.”
State leaders plan to work with the PUCO to ensure the ruling is implemented and that submeter consumers get full protection as soon as possible.
CUYAHOGA FALLS, Ohio — Cuyahoga Falls is anything but quiet this weekend as thousands of brightly colored rubber ducks have officially taken over the city for the annual Ohio Rubber Duck Dash, a free, family-friendly festival turning downtown into a playful, high-energy celebration.
At the center of the spectacle, a towering six-story rubber duck now looms over downtown, becoming an instant landmark and a must-see photo stop for festival goers. Visitors can also spot the giant duck installation, which is known as the world’s largest rubber duck, stationed at Riverfront Park on Front Street.
From Riverfront Park to the amphitheater stage along Riverfront Parkway, the city has been transformed into a whimsical race course where fun meets community spirit, and yes, a few thousand floating competitors are stealing the show.
The main event kicks off at noon, with the highly anticipated duck races beginning at 1:30 p.m. Organizers say around 10,000 adopted rubber ducks will race along an inflatable track designed and built by students participating in the Six District Entrepreneur Program. This ambitious hands-on project is led completely by students who have worked on the Ohio Rubber Duck Festival all year.
“I’ve learned really how hard it is to really run something and put it on. I’ve learned a lot about sales, budgeting, financing, all these different things that I would’ve never learned in the classroom. This taught me everything,” said Reaghan Randall, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
“To add on to that, I feel like we learned a lot of communication. We’ve had so many experiences talking to people, being on the news, talking to businesses, so I think that’s been a really great learning experience,” said McKenzie Bosko, Ohio Rubber Duck Festival organizer.
Winners from each heat of 1,000 ducks will advance through the tournament-style races, with prizes ranging from cash and gift cards to Cleveland Guardians tickets and even a year of free Swensons.
Beyond the races, the festival stretches across the day with food trucks, live music, and student-created art installations scattered throughout the park. Organizers say the goal is to blend entertainment with education while bringing the community together in an unexpectedly joyful way.
The Ohio Rubber Duck Dash Festival runs until 4 p.m. Saturday.
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PITTSBURGH, Pa. (WKBN) – Ohio State tight end Will Kacmarek was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 3rd Round, Pick 87 of the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh.
Kacmarek is the second OSU tight end taken so far in the 2026 NFL Draft. Buckeye teammate Max Klare was taken in the 2nd Round by the Los Angeles Rams.
The Buckeye played in all 14 games this past season and scored two touchdowns. Last season, he caught 15 passes for 168 receiving yards
Kacmarek started his college career at Ohio University before he transferred to Ohio State in 2024.
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to assist in a shooting investigation in Brecksville on Friday morning.
Law enforcement is on the scene near Snowville Road and Breckville Road, where a shooting sent two people to Metro Health this morning.
Their conditions are unknown, police said.
Brecksville Police told 19 News there is no ongoing threat, and the incident is still under investigation.
Steve Irwin, with the Ohio BCI, told 19 News that its crime scene unit was requested this morning to assist the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department and Brecksville Police Department with an investigation.
19 News is working to learn more.
Brecksville Police said it will share more details as they become available.
This is a developing story. Return to 19 News for updates.
Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.
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