FirstEnergy Wants to Raise Your Electric Bill

OCC is fighting for fair and affordable rates for Ohio consumers

FirstEnergy has asked the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) to approve a three-year increase in the part of your electric bill that pays for poles, wires, tree trimming, and maintaining the electric system (distribution service).

If approved, residential consumers could see monthly increases for three years beginning in 2027.

Estimated Monthly Bill Increases

(For a typical residential consumer using 1,000 kWh per month)

Utility	Average Increase Each Year	Total Average Increase by Year 3
Toledo Edison	$5.30/month	$15.90/month
The Illuminating Company	$5.15/month	$15.45/month
Ohio Edison	$4.26/month	$12.78/month

Source: FirstEnergy April 22, 2026 E-5 filing.

These increases are in addition to other rising electricity costs including generation and transmission charges that already affect consumers’ monthly bills.

Why are rates going up?

FirstEnergy says it plans to spend about $800 million per year on its electric distribution system plus $83 million annually for tree trimming.

The utilities want residential consumers to pay these costs through higher electric bills over a three-year period (2027-2029).

Why this matters

For many Ohio families, utility bills are already difficult to afford. Additional increases come as consumers continue facing higher costs for food, housing, gasoline, and other essentials.

Consumers deserve to know whether any proposed increase is truly necessary and reasonably priced.

OCC Is Standing Up for Consumers

The Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC) –your residential utility consumer advocate—has entered the case to represent nearly 2 million FirstEnergy residential consumers.

OCC’s attorneys, accountants, and utility experts will carefully review FirstEnergy’s request and work to ensure:

Need Assistance? Assistance may be available for Ohioans who need help paying their utility bills.