FirstEnergy

In short

FirstEnergy is ten local electric companies, and each has its own Customer Care number, assistance programs and state rules, so start with the company name on your bill. If you cannot pay, call before the shutoff date and ask for a payment arrangement, apply for your state's programs, and have a medical professional submit a medical certificate if someone's health is at risk. If FirstEnergy does not fix a problem, go to your state utility commission. FirstEnergy does not pay for food or equipment lost in weather-related outages, and it never demands immediate payment to avoid a same-day shutoff.

How complaints actually go

• Each operating company has its own Customer Care line (for example Ohio Edison 1-800-633-4766, Met-Ed and Penelec 1-800-545-7741, JCP&L 1-800-662-3115), staffed Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; the automated phone system runs 24/7. FirstEnergy contact us
• The only published written channel is the Email Us web form; FirstEnergy says it attempts to respond within two business days. No complaint mailing address or email address is listed. FirstEnergy contact us
• Shutoff rules come from the state. In Ohio a utility must give at least fourteen days' notice before a nonpayment disconnection, plus a contact ten days before disconnection from November 1 through April 15. Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-18-06
• Ohio utilities must offer extended payment plans when a customer does not propose acceptable terms: PIPP Plus, a one-sixth plan, a one-ninth plan and, in the winter heating season, a one-third plan. Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-18-05
• After a disconnection, FirstEnergy says service is usually reconnected after payment of the full past-due amount, though a payment plan or confirmed enrollment in an assistance program can also be arranged; fees or deposits may apply. FirstEnergy help center

What tends to work

• Ask for a payment arrangement: installments added to the monthly bill, set up online or by phone. Customers 60 or older, or who receive Social Security, pension or disability payments, can ask for an extended due date. Ohio Edison assistance, Met-Ed assistance
• In Ohio, ask for the $175 Winter Option: pay the past-due balance or $175, whichever is less, once per winter season. Ohio Edison assistance
• Use a medical certificate. In Ohio it stops disconnection for thirty days, can be renewed two more times, and is capped at ninety days per household in twelve months; a certificate within twenty-one days after a disconnection gets service restored if you agree to an extended payment plan. Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-18-06
• The medical professional submits the certificate online; the Medical Certification department is at 1-866-596-1783. FirstEnergy medical certification
• Income-based bills: Ohio PIPP Plus charges 5 or 10 percent of income (at least $10) for households at or below 175 percent of the poverty level, and Pennsylvania PCAP sets bills at a percentage of income with a $12 or $45 minimum. Ohio Edison assistance, Met-Ed assistance
• In New Jersey, JCP&L's Summer Termination Program protects eligible customers from shutoff from June 15 through August 31, and eligible customers may get an interest-free 12-month payment plan. PAGE grants help with past-due balances of $100 or more. JCP&L assistance

Traps and fine print

• FirstEnergy "does not reimburse customers for equipment damaged or food lost during a weather-related outage"; it points customers to renter's or homeowner's insurance. FirstEnergy help center
• At Met-Ed, the current bill must be paid while a medical certificate is in effect; if not, renewals are limited to two of up to 30 days each for the whole household. Met-Ed assistance
• Ohio winter protection is a notice rule, not a ban: disconnection for nonpayment is still allowed from November 1 through April 15 after the extra ten-day contact. Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-18-06
• In Ohio no disconnection for nonpayment may be made after 12:30 p.m. on the day before a day when reconnection services are not regularly performed. Ohio Adm. Code 4901:1-18-06

Scams that target customers

• FirstEnergy representatives "will not call or email to demand immediate payment to avoid a same-day shutoff," do not contact customers to ask for sensitive information, and never require a prepaid money card as the only way to pay. FirstEnergy scams and fraud
• Common scams: shutoff-threat calls demanding prepaid debit cards or money transfers, fake bill emails, people at the door asking for a copy of the bill or posing as meter or fuse box inspectors, and fake smart meter fees. FirstEnergy's utilities do not do door-to-door meter or fuse box surveys. FirstEnergy known scams
• FirstEnergy "will never require payment to restore power," and there is no "special federal program" that pays utility bills in exchange for your Social Security number. FirstEnergy known scams
• To check a call, hang up and call the Customer Care number on FirstEnergy's website or log in to your account; employees always carry photo ID. FirstEnergy scams and fraud