FirstEnergy's Commitment to You

Absolutely not. FirstEnergy operates a critical part of our country’s infrastructure and is committed to keeping the lights on as the nation addresses the coronavirus challenge. We are taking a well-informed and measured response that protects our employees and the general public while also providing the power our customers need all day, every day.

To ensure the lights remain on for all our customers, FirstEnergy’s essential work to maintain the electric system will continue with appropriate protective measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Safety is a core value at FirstEnergy, and we are taking extensive steps to protect our employees, including:

• Enhancing workplace flexibility to include working from home when possible and more flexible hours
• Performing enhanced environmental cleaning at company facilities, with extra focus on commonly touched surfaces
• Providing sanitizing equipment for equipment and vehicle cleaning
• Prohibiting visits to FirstEnergy locations from non-essential personnel
• Relocating job briefs and reporting locations to spaces conducive to social distancing
• Splitting into smaller work units to support distance between employees
• Offering medical personnel for employees who have questions or concerns about their health

Our line workers and field personnel perform almost all of their work outside of homes and businesses with little to no need to interact with occupants. When interactions with our personnel are required, appropriate preventive measures like social distancing will be in place to protect your personal health.

In states where FirstEnergy does not have smart meters, reading meters outside of homes helps ensure that monthly bills are accurate. This also prevents a prolonged period of estimated bills, as residential electric use is expected to spike for the foreseeable future as customers spend time in their homes around the clock.

Meter reading that requires access into homes or interaction with home owners has been suspended, and our meter readers will maintain safe social distancing from customers and others while working.

Many customers are spending more time in their homes and increasing their energy consumption, which can lead to higher-than-usual electric bills. By continuing to read meters and provide accurate billing information in a safe manner, we can continue to keep customers informed of their energy use. A prolonged period of estimated bills may result in an unusually high bill when the meter is read again.

In the event a customer receives an estimated bill, they have the option to submit a meter reading by logging into their online account or by calling a customer service representative to receive an adjustment. Any variation between the estimated and actual usage will be adjusted on a customer’s bill with the next actual meter reading. 

Trees are a leading cause of electrical power outages. To help ensure continued reliable and safe electric service, FirstEnergy's Vegetation Management Program works to keep our transmission and distribution rights-of-way free of incompatible trees and other vegetation. This regular tree maintenance is an essential part of our commitment to keeping the lights on.

To safeguard the health and safety of FirstEnergy employees, contractors and our six million customers, we have implemented extensive precautions aligned with our medical consultants, the CDC, NIH and WHO. These measures include instructions to maintain appropriate social distance. We ask the public to also extend that coutesy to our workers. 

To protect customers from the challenges of living without electricity and to limit interactions between our employees and the general public, effective March 13, all FirstEnergy operating companies have discontinued service shutoffs for past-due customers.

Customers who fall behind on their bills may still receive a service shutoff notice. However, we will NOT be performing shutoffs during this time. This documentation helps ensure customers know the status of their account and is often required as proof of situation by agencies who provide financial support to assist with bills.

We are also encouraging any customers who are or have been without power to contact us. Customers whose service was disconnected for nonpayment prior to that date can be reconnected upon request. We are not charging reconnection fees for customers at this time.

It is especially important that customers contact us if a service restoration is required. Automatic restorations can pose a safety hazard. For example, if an iron or stove was on when the power was turned off, it could come back on when power is restored, creating a safety issue in the home. We will work with customers to ensure restoration is conducted safely.

We understand that customers may be facing concerns and hardships due to the many business shutdowns and interruptions underway to help limit spread of COVID-19.  We will work with customers on various payment options if they are having trouble paying their electric bills. Options include:

• Enrolling in budget billing, a program that averages usage over 12 months to offer the same bill amount each month.
• Energy assistance programs or other payment arrangements for eligible customers, based on their situation and state of residence. Click here for more information about assistance programs.

Customers with concerns are encouraged to call their electric company:

Congress passed the CARES Act as part of the federal stimulus package, which is intended to assist qualifying business owners with utility bills and other expenses. The CARES Act provides several options for qualifying businesses including loans, grants and educational resources. Your business may qualify for one or more of these options. For information on available programs, how to apply, and to see if you qualify, please visit the Small Business Administration website at SBA.gov, or you can contact your lender, financial advisor, or your local Small Business Administration office. 

For customers in Ohio, the state announced the formation of the Ohio Office of Small Business Relief. The office will help businesses navigate all of the relief programs, regulatory reforms and more that have been established as a result of the pandemic. See https://businesshelp.ohio.gov/