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    Ohio's competitive electric industry has led two of the state's largest investor-owned utilities to adopt new advertising campaigns to entice customers to do business with them, the Toledo Blade reports.

    According to the media outlet, American Electric Power, whose service area is based in central Ohio, recently aired a television commercial taking aim at FirstEnergy, painting it as a large corporation that is out of touch with Main Street.

    In response, FirstEnergy, which supplies electricity to most of Northwest Ohio through Toledo Edison, has ramped up its advertisements in television, radio, print and online mediums, suggesting AEP hopes to keep competition low.

    "They've been going at it recently on the airwaves … with each saying the other is being unfair," said Matt Schilling, a spokesman for the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio. "The competition has really ramped up between them."

    The competitive environment in Ohio developed after energy users were given the opportunity to shop around for electricity rates and choose what electricity supplier was a best fit. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio has created a website that allows customers to see the advantages of various electricity suppliers in their area.