FirstEnergy’s three Ohio utilities want to raise distribution rates each year from 2027 to 2029. For a typical home using about 1,000 kWh a month that does not shop for supply, the company estimates $4.26 more a month each year at Ohio Edison, $5.15 at The Illuminating Company (CEI) and $5.30 at Toledo Edison. By the third year, that adds up to $12.78 to $15.90 a month more than today, according to the Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel (OCC). Nothing is approved. The Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) scheduled public hearings for Dec. 2, 9 and 17, 2026.
The case covers only distribution, the part of the bill that pays for local poles, wires and tree trimming. It does not change the default supply price that was reset on June 1; for those numbers and how Ohio net metering credits work, see what changed for Ohio electric customers in 2026.
What FirstEnergy Is Asking For
FirstEnergy filed the plan on May 22, 2026, PUCO says, in Case No. 26-347-EL-AIR (with companion cases 26-348-EL-ATA, 26-349-EL-AAM and 26-350-EL-UNC). The company calls it its first “Three-Year Rate Plan.”
| Utility | Year 1 revenue increase | Year 2 | Year 3 | Typical home, each year (FirstEnergy) | By year 3 (OCC) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison | $99.8 million | $27.8 million | $36.2 million | +$4.26/month (2.2%) | +$12.78/month |
| The Illuminating Company (CEI) | $121.4 million | $17.0 million | $26.1 million | +$5.15/month (2.6%) | +$15.45/month |
| Toledo Edison | $32.8 million | $14.0 million | $17.1 million | +$5.30/month (2.8%) | +$15.90/month |
Revenue figures: PUCO notice of Nov. 6, 2026. Monthly figures: FirstEnergy, for “a typical non-shopping residential customer using about 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month,” with the percentage described as an average annual increase; OCC’s year-three totals cite FirstEnergy’s April 22, 2026 E-5 filing. All figures are requested, not approved. PUCO’s notice lists an amount for each year but does not say whether the year-two and year-three amounts are added on top of year one; the three year-one amounts total $254 million. PUCO’s year-one amounts are much larger than years two and three, while FirstEnergy describes an equal monthly bill increase each year; the materials we reviewed do not explain the difference.
FirstEnergy says the plan supports an average of $800 million a year in investment in infrastructure upgrades, “including neighborhood poles, wires” and related equipment, plus an average of $83 million a year for vegetation management (tree trimming). The company also lists a $1 million Emergency Energy Support Fund and a new $4 million Energy Assistance Fund in 2029, and says those program costs are not passed on to customers.
What It Means in Dollars
Assumptions: FirstEnergy’s own estimates for a non-shopping home using about 1,000 kWh a month; the same increase each year, as FirstEnergy and OCC describe it.
| Utility | More per month, year 1 | More per year, year 1 | More per month by year 3 | More per year by year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio Edison | $4.26 | $51.12 | $12.78 | $153.36 |
| CEI | $5.15 | $61.80 | $15.45 | $185.40 |
| Toledo Edison | $5.30 | $63.60 | $15.90 | $190.80 |
If you use more or less than 1,000 kWh, your change will differ, and the filing may shift charges between the fixed monthly customer charge and per-kWh charges; FirstEnergy’s announcement does not break that out. If you buy supply from a retail supplier, your total bill and the percentage change will look different, because the estimates assume default (non-shopping) service.
OCC also notes the increases would come “in addition to other rising electricity costs including generation and transmission charges.”
Timeline and How to Comment
| Date | Step |
|---|---|
| May 22, 2026 | FirstEnergy files application (PUCO) |
| By Nov. 30, 2026 | PUCO staff files its written report and recommendations |
| Dec. 2, 2026, 5 p.m. | Public hearing, Lausche State Office Building, 615 W. Superior Ave., Cleveland |
| Dec. 9, 2026, 5 p.m. | Public hearing, Akron-Summit County Public Library, 60 S. High St., Akron |
| Dec. 17, 2026, 6 p.m. | Public hearing, Board of Lucas County Commissioners, One Government Center, Toledo |
| March 1, 2027 | Evidentiary hearing begins at PUCO in Columbus |
| 2027-2029 | Increases would take effect over three years if approved (OCC) |
PUCO says people who testify at the public hearings “will have their comments included in the case record.” You can also mail written comments to PUCO at 180 E. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215, or file them online. Reference all four case numbers. OCC, which says it has entered the case to represent “nearly 2 million FirstEnergy residential consumers,” says it will ask PUCO for a virtual public hearing as well.
The staff report due by Nov. 30 is the first independent number to watch. In rate cases, regulators often approve less than the utility asks; our guide to how electric rate cases work explains the steps.
What It Means for Solar Homes
Solar does not take you off the distribution system. A home with panels still pays the customer charge and distribution charges on the power it draws from the grid at night and on cloudy days, so it would share in any approved increase.
Ohio net metering credits exported power at the energy part of the supply rate only, as our Ohio page explains, so a distribution increase does not raise what you earn for exports. It does make the power your panels cover directly a little more valuable, to the extent distribution is billed per kWh. That favors sizing a system and timing loads (dishwasher, laundry, EV charging) to use more of your own solar output. For a broader look at how fixed and per-kWh charges change solar savings, see fixed charges and solar savings.
For context, Duke Energy Ohio customers in southwest Ohio are in a separate case; see our Duke Energy Ohio rate increase coverage.
Sources and verification
| Important claim | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Filed May 22, 2026; case numbers; revenue increases by company and year; staff report by Nov. 30; hearing dates and places; evidentiary hearing March 1, 2027 | PUCO, “Public hearings scheduled for FirstEnergy rate increase application,” Nov. 6, 2026 | Verified |
| $4.26 / $5.15 / $5.30 a month each year and 2.2% / 2.6% / 2.8% at about 1,000 kWh, non-shopping; distribution only; $800 million and $83 million a year; assistance funds | FirstEnergy news release, May 2026 | Verified (company estimate) |
| $12.78 / $15.45 / $15.90 a month by year 3; 2027-2029; nearly 2 million residential consumers | Office of the Ohio Consumers’ Counsel fact sheet | Verified |
| Yearly dollar figures and $254 million year-one total | Our calculation from the figures above | Verified (math) |
| Net metering credits at the energy part of supply; supply reset June 1, 2026 | Our Ohio rate page and its sources | Qualified (internal) |
Limitations
We could not read FirstEnergy’s filed bill-impact schedules directly, so the per-home figures are the company’s summary estimates as published by FirstEnergy and OCC. They assume about 1,000 kWh a month and default supply service. The PUCO notice does not state whether the year-two and year-three revenue amounts are incremental or cumulative. We will update this page when PUCO staff files its report.
Frequently asked questions
How much will FirstEnergy bills go up in Ohio in 2027?
Nothing is approved yet. FirstEnergy's own estimate for a typical non-shopping home using about 1,000 kWh a month is $4.26 more a month each year at Ohio Edison, $5.15 at The Illuminating Company and $5.30 at Toledo Edison, over three years. PUCO can approve less.
When would the new FirstEnergy rates take effect?
Not before PUCO rules. The Ohio Consumers' Counsel says increases would begin in 2027 and run over three years (2027-2029). The evidentiary hearing starts March 1, 2027, so a decision is unlikely before then.
How can I comment on the FirstEnergy rate case?
Testify at a PUCO public hearing (Dec. 2 in Cleveland and Dec. 9 in Akron at 5 p.m., Dec. 17 in Toledo at 6 p.m.), or send written comments to PUCO by mail (180 E. Broad Street, Columbus, Ohio 43215) or online. Reference Case Nos. 26-347-EL-AIR, 26-348-EL-ATA, 26-349-EL-AAM and 26-350-EL-UNC.
Does this change my supply rate or price to compare?
No. FirstEnergy says the plan only affects the distribution part of bills. Default supply prices for the FirstEnergy utilities were reset on June 1, 2026 through a separate auction process and run through May 31, 2027.
Does the FirstEnergy rate case affect solar customers?
Solar homes still pay distribution charges for the power they draw from the grid, so they would see part of any increase. Under Ohio net metering, exported power is credited at the energy part of the supply rate only, so a higher distribution charge does not raise the credit for exports. It does make each kWh you use directly from your panels worth a little more, to the extent distribution charges are billed per kWh.
