FirstEnergy: disconnection notice

Collect

• disconnection notice
• account number
• account balance
• medical certificate from a licensed professional
• energy assistance application

Steps

1. Call Customer Care for your operating company before the date on the notice. Ask for a payment arrangement (installments added to the monthly bill) or set one up online.

   OnlineOnline account (payment arrangements, bills, payments) Sign-in required

2. If a household member has a serious illness or uses life-sustaining equipment, have a licensed medical professional submit a medical certificate, and ask about the Critical Care Program.

   FormMedical certification (submitted online by the medical professional)

3. Apply for the assistance programs for your state (for example PIPP Plus, HEAP or Winter Crisis in Ohio; PCAP, LIHEAP or the Hardship Fund in Pennsylvania; USF, PAGE or NJ SHARES in New Jersey).

   FormPayment assistance programs, by operating company

4. In Ohio during the winter heating season, ask for the $175 Winter Option (pay the past-due balance or $175, whichever is less).

   Same option applies to The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison through their own Customer Care numbers.

   PhoneOhio Edison Customer Care +1-800-633-4766

5. If service is cut off, call Customer Care at once. Service is usually reconnected after payment of the full past-due amount, a payment plan or confirmed enrollment in an assistance program; fees or deposits may apply.

6. If you cannot agree on terms, contact your state utility commission before the shutoff date.

More contacts for this issue

Facts you can cite

• Deadline

  In Ohio, a utility may disconnect residential service for nonpayment only after at least fourteen days' notice, and from November 1 through April 15 it must also make contact ten days before disconnection.

  Source: codes.ohio.gov, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  In Ohio, a medical certification by a licensed physician, physician assistant, clinical nurse specialist, certified nurse practitioner, certified nurse-midwife or local board of health physician stops disconnection for thirty calendar days. It may be renewed two more times; the total may not exceed ninety days per household in any twelve-month period.

  Source: codes.ohio.gov, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  In Ohio, if service was disconnected for nonpayment within twenty-one calendar days before the medical certification, the utility must restore service when the certification is provided and the customer agrees to an extended payment plan.

  Source: codes.ohio.gov, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  In Ohio, if the customer does not propose acceptable terms, the utility must offer extended payment plans, including PIPP Plus, a one-sixth plan (six equal monthly payments on the past-due balance plus the current bill), a one-ninth plan (nine equal monthly payments plus a budget plan), and during the winter heating season a one-third plan.

  Source: codes.ohio.gov, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  Ohio Edison's $175 Winter Option lets a customer pay the past-due balance or $175, whichever is less, once per winter season.

  Source: firstenergycorp.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  For Met-Ed, the current bill must be paid while a medical certificate is in effect; if that is not met, renewals are limited to two, each for a maximum of 30 days, for the whole household.

  Source: firstenergycorp.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Policy

  JCP&L's Summer Termination Program protects eligible New Jersey residential customers from shutoff from June 15 through August 31; eligibility includes Lifeline, HEAP, TANF, SSI, PAAD, USF or General Assistance benefits. Under New Jersey law, eligible customers may get an interest-free plan of twelve monthly installments to prevent disconnection.

  Source: firstenergycorp.com, verified 2026-10-13

• Process

  FirstEnergy says that after a disconnection, service is usually reconnected after payment of the full past-due amount; a payment plan or confirmed enrollment in an assistance program can also be arranged. Fees or deposits may apply.

  Source: firstenergycorp.com, verified 2026-10-13

If that fails, escalate

Go up one step at a time. Keep the reference numbers and dates from each contact.

1. Customer service

   PhoneOhio Edison Customer Care +1-800-633-4766
   PhoneThe Illuminating Company Customer Care +1-800-589-3101

   Call the Customer Care number of your operating company (it is on the bill).

2. Supervisor

   Ask the Customer Care representative for a supervisor. Write down the name and reference number.

3. Written complaint

   FormEmail Us form (choose the operating company and Customer Service)

4. State agency

   Your state’s utility commission. Find it in the list of state agencies (also as JSON: states/<code>.json, for example states/ny.json).

   The commission of the state where you get service: PUCO (Ohio), Pennsylvania PUC, New Jersey BPU, West Virginia PSC or Maryland PSC. Contact the utility first; the commissions expect the company to have a chance to fix the problem.

5. State agency

   Your state’s attorney general. Find it in the list of state agencies (also as JSON: states/<code>.json, for example states/ny.json).

   Attorney general of the state where you get service.

Watch out

Related

• Disconnection notice at other companies
• How FirstEnergy complaints actually go (dossier, checked 2026-10-13)
• Electric and gas utilities — how complaints work
• FirstEnergy: payment plan or bill assistance
• FirstEnergy: outage credit