Moving to Cincinnati

Our advice? Compare electric rates in Cincinnati before you pile chili and cheese on your pasta

The Queen City. Porkopolis. Hometown of George Clooney and Jerry Springer. Cincinnati is known by many names, which comes as no surprise to men and women who live there. Cincinnati’s personality is complex, and that’s what gives this little big city on the banks of the Ohio River its charm.

Its complexity attracts new residents from across Ohio and throughout the country. Everyone finds their niche in Cincy. They also discover that this modern metropolis is surprisingly economical. It’s the 13^th most affordable place to live in the U.S., according to U.S. News & World Report.

Job growth and economic opportunity

Cincinnati sits along the Ohio River near the southwestern edge of Ohio. It borders Kentucky and Indiana, parts of which make up the Cincinnati Tri-State area. With more than 2.1 million residents, it’s the 29th most populous metropolitan area in the U.S. More than 300,000 live within Cincy’s city limits.

Job growth in Cincinnati is near the U.S. average and unemployment is below. Manufacturing, wholesale and retail trade, insurance and finance, education and health services make up the city’s foundation. Most people think of Procter & Gamble when they think of Cincinnati. The $381 billion consumer goods company was founded in the city by William Procter and James Gamble in 1837.

Other Fortune 500 companies have headquartered in Cincinnati including AK Steel, American Financial, Ashland Inc., Cinergy Corp., Federated Department Stores, Fifth Third Bancorp, The Kroger Co., Omnicare, and Western & Southern Financial.

Opportunity for those moving to Cincinnati goes beyond affordability and employment options. New residents will find that it is a culturally diverse city with something for everyone – even the ability to choose their own energy provider.

Thinking about making the move? Here’s everything you need to know to make the transition easier.

The choice is yours: Compare electric rates with the average electric bill in Cincinnati

The ability to choose your natural gas and electricity suppliers is often an overlooked benefit for those moving to Cincinnati. Whether you’re coming from out of state or moving from another part of Ohio, add this opportunity to your moving checklist.

Ohio is an Energy Choice state, which means residents have the freedom to compare electric and natural gas providers and choose the electricity supplier and plan that best fits their individual situation, whether that’s choosing a fixed-rate plan to make monthly budgeting more predictable, or selecting a supplier that offers environmentally friendly clean energy.

How electricity reaches your home

Energy reaches Ohio homes through the interconnected work of three types of natural gas and electricity companies or providers – production and generation companies, suppliers and utility companies.

If you live in Cincinnati, you can choose your retail electricity supplier, sometimes called your Competitive Retail Electric Service, or CRES, supplier. CRES suppliers are certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) and offer alternative competitive prices that could help you save money, clean energy options and other services or incentives. Energy Harbor, for example, is a CRES supplier. It is also an energy generation company.

Comparing natural gas and electricity rates and choosing an energy provider is simple. Cincinnati residents still receive electricity bills from their local utility company, making the transition even easier. Electricity utilities in Ohio include AEP Ohio, AES Ohio, Duke Energy, The Illuminating Company, OhioEdison and ToledoEdison.

Do these 5 things before moving to Cincinnati

From picking a Cincinnati electric company to registering your vehicle in Ohio, getting a jump start on move-in tasks will make the transition to The Queen City smooth and simple.

Inform your insurance provider: Talk to your insurance company to discuss both homeowner’s and auto policy options. Laws governing how insurance providers operate vary state to state, so moving to Cincinnati may require updated policies – and maybe a new insurance provider.
Set up home energy services: Don’t forget to compare energy solutions before connecting with your Ohio electricity utility. You might miss out on competitive fixed-rate plans that can help eliminate rate surprises on your electricity bill. If you want to save even more, consider other ways to lower your energy bill.
Forward your mail and update your address online: Set up mail forwarding before you hop in the moving van. It’s as simple as filling out a Change of Address e-form at USPS.com. Then update your shipping address with online stores, subscription services, like Dollar Shave Club, and delivery apps. Nothing’s worse than having DoorDash deliver your move-in meal to your old address.
Turn on cable and internet: Find time before your move to choose a communications provider and establish internet and WiFi services. With WiFi up and running on Day 1, you can unwind with your favorite streaming show or knock out some remote work on Day 2.
Visit the BMV: Soon after you’re settled, find the closest Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles branch and take time to register your vehicle and get a new license. Visit the Ohio BMV’s website to choose a branch, review BMV services and learn more about Ohio traffic laws.

Cincinnati culture

Once you’re settled into your new home, it is time to explore your ZIP code. Cincinnati has much to offer, from local food favorites to major league sports and engaging cultural exhibits.

Fabulous food:

Four-star restaurants dot the Cincinnati landscape, but here’s the truth. You won’t be a true city denizen until you try Cincinnati-style chili. A Greek delicacy, this chili is made with finely chopped ground beef, Greek spices and no beans or onions, unless requested. It has a sweet taste and is most often ordered on pasta with cheese – or a “three-way.” After dinner, Cincy residents often grab a scoop of Graeter’s ice cream, uniquely made via French Pot Process.

Cincy culture:

Get to know Cincinnati by exploring its many cultural wonders. The Cincinnati Art Museum is one of the oldest art museums in the U.S. and features more than 65,000 works of art. Kids love the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical, nationally ranked and spanning more than 65 acres with 2,000 animals from 500 species, and the whole family can lose themselves in the universe at the Cincinnati Observatory.

Sports fanatics:

Sports fans can cheer for the Cincinnati Reds, Cincinnati Bengals and FC Cincinnati, the city’s professional baseball, football and soccer teams. Across the Ohio River, fans can cheer on both horses and cars at racetracks in Florence and Walton, Kentucky.

What’s in a name?

Newcomers are often perplexed by Cincinnati’s myriad nicknames, most notably The Queen City, Porkopolis and the City of Seven Hills. If you’re wondering, too, here’s the story behind these three iconic names:

The Queen City:

This nickname, formalized in 1819 when it made it to the newspapers, was adopted by leaders and residents to market the newly incorporated city. Civic leaders wanted travelers to view Cincinnati as grand and regal. It was alternatively known as the Queen of the West. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow later memorialized the nickname in a poem, “Catawba Wine.”

Porkopolis:

Beginning in the 1810s and continuing for more than a quarter century, Cincinnati was the meat-packing capital of the U.S., thanks in part to Elisha Mills. The nation fell in love with Mills’ brine-infused pork, created in Cincy’s first modern meat packing plant. Cincinnati’s annual marathon, The Flying Pig, is partially named in honor of the city’s pork history.

City of Seven Hills:

Cincinnati sits in a basin on the banks of the Ohio River, picturesque hills providing a backdrop for the modern city. The nickname is borrowed from ancient Rome, similarly residing among several bluffs called the Seven Hills of Rome. Which hills are the seven hills of Cincinnati? There are several answers, to be honest, but the most common seem to be Mt. Adams, Mt. Airy, Mt. Echo, Mt. Healthy, Mt. Lookout, Mt. Storm and Mt. Washington.

One thing’s for sure. There’s a lot of choice for Cincinnati residents. That includes energy choice. If you’re making the move, take some time to compare energy rates in Cincinnati at Energy Harbor. A simple fixed-rate electric plan can help residents avoid seasonal utility hikes by paying a predictable rate for the full length of the plan.

You don’t have to move to make a choice, however. If you are already a Cincinnati resident – or call any Ohio town home – compare energy rates today and make the switch.