Customers can weigh in Dec. 2
CLEVELAND — Lorain County residents can weigh in Dec. 2 on a proposed FirstEnergy rate increase that could add about $13 to $15 a month to a typical household’s electric bill by the third year of the plan.
The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio announced Friday that it will hold three public hearings on the proposal. The Cleveland hearing is scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 2, on the plaza level of the Lausche State Office Building, 615 W. Superior Ave.
What customers could pay
The proposal covers Ohio Edison and The Illuminating Company, which both serve parts of Lorain County, as well as Toledo Edison. It would raise the delivery portion of electric bills, which pays for local poles, wires and other equipment. Customers who buy electricity from another supplier would also pay the higher delivery rates because their local utility still delivers the power.
For a household using 1,000 kilowatt-hours a month, Ohio Edison bills would rise about $4 a month in the first year and about $13 a month by the third year, compared with current rates. For a household using the same amount through The Illuminating Company, the increase would be about $5 a month in the first year and about $15 a month by the third year, according to estimates from the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel.
FirstEnergy is asking for the first increase to take effect July 1, 2027, with the plan running through June 2030. The company says it plans to invest about $2.5 billion in its Ohio delivery system over that period to replace aging equipment and improve reliability. The Ohio Consumers’ Counsel, which represents residential utility customers, has entered the case to review whether the increases are justified.
How to weigh in
Comments from people who testify at the hearings will become part of the case record. The other hearings are scheduled for 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 9, at the Akron-Summit County Public Library and 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 17, at One Government Center in Toledo.
Residents can find the online comment link through the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel. They can also mail comments to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, 180 E. Broad St., Columbus, OH 43215, and reference case number 26-0347-EL-AIR.
Commission staff are scheduled to file their recommendations by Nov. 30. A separate evidentiary hearing is scheduled to begin March 1, 2027, in Columbus.