First Energy anticipates increase in electricity bills

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) -Come June, First Energy customers could see a jump on their electric bill.

First Energy operates Toledo Edison, Ohio Edison, and the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company.

According to Matt Schilling, director of public affairs at the public utilities commission in Ohio, this will only impact those on a default rate or the standard service offer with First Energy. Right now, that rate is 5.2 cents per kilowatt hour.

Schilling said we are going to see that price go up by about four and a half to five cents a kilowatt hour.

This increase could impact a lot of people. Data from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio shows as of December 2022, there were 541,395 customers enrolled in that default rate, which would be in place for one year.

As for those not in a default rate, “if you enroll with a supplier on your own or you partake in your local governments’ aggregation program, you are not going to be impacted directly by these price impacts in June.”

Schilling also said this recent spike in energy prices is influenced by factors like the state of the economy and the war in Ukraine, which put pressure on the price of natural gas.

So what do you do if you’re looking to get out of this rate?

Schilling suggests supplier shopping at energychoice.Ohio.Gov, where you can compare offers from retail energy providers. And if you aren’t going to change suppliers, he said the next option would be to use less energy. He recommended the following tips to reduce energy: Keep your blinds closed so sunlight can’t heat up your house.

Schilling also recommended having an energy professional come to your house to complete an audit and identify where energy waste is occurring and how to fix it.

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