AKRON, Ohio, Feb. 15, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Financial
assistance programs continue to be available for
FirstEnergy customers in Ohio
who need help with winter heating bills. FirstEnergy's
Ohio utilities include Ohio
Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison.
Assistance to qualifying customers is available through the Home
Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), Percentage of Income Payment Plan
Plus, the $175 Winter Reconnection
Option and Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy.
- HEAP is a federally-funded grant program administered by the
Ohio Development Services Agency through a network of local
community action agencies. HEAP provides eligible customers
help with paying winter heating bills. For information about
how to apply call 800-282-0880 or go to
www.development.ohio.gov. The program provides customers with
help paying winter heating bills in two ways:
-
- HEAP Cash Program – annual grant to help with heating
bills
- HEAP Emergency Program – provides emergency payments until
March 31 to avoid shut off or restore
electric service. Can be used only once per heating
season.
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) is a
year-round program that helps qualifying customers with a household
income at or below 150 percent of the federal poverty level manage
their energy bills. Payments are based on a percentage of household
income and are consistent year-round. For information call
800-282-0880.
- The $175 Winter Reconnect Option
is based on an annual order issued by the Public Utilities
Commission of Ohio (PUCO) that
allows residential customers who are disconnected or being
threatened with disconnection the opportunity to pay a designated
amount to have their service restored or maintained. The
option may be used once during each heating season, which runs from
mid-October through mid-April. Residential customers are
required to pay no more than $175 to
maintain service under the reconnection order. If the
customer's service has already been disconnected, the customer must
pay the $175 and possibly a
reconnection fee. There is no income eligibility requirement
to use the Winter Reconnect Option. For information call the
FirstEnergy Contact Center at 800-589-3101.
- The Ohio Partners for Affordable Energy grant is a
company-funded program that provides a one-time annual benefit to
an eligible customer's electric account. The grant can only
be used for electric usage, security deposits and reconnection
charges. For information call 800-282-0880.
Specific customer assistance programs also are available for
each utility:
The Illuminating Company
- The Ohio Fuel Fund grant is a company-funded program that
provides a one-time annual benefit to an eligible customer's
electric account. The grant can only be used for electric
usage, security deposits and reconnection charges. Customers
can apply at the Cleveland Housing Network at the corner of E.
30th Street and Payne Avenue in Cleveland or call 216-574-7100, or contact the
Council for Economic Opportunities in Greater Cleveland at 1801 Superior Avenue in
Cleveland or call
216-518-4014.
- The CEI Co-Op Fuel Fund is an emergency hardship fund designed
to help residential customers who have suffered a recent financial
hardship and need temporary help in paying their electric
bill. The program funding is provided by The Illuminating
Company customers and employees. Customers can apply at the
Cleveland Salvation Army or call 216-861-8185.
Ohio Edison
- Ohio Edison Project Reach is an emergency hardship fund
designed to help residential customers who have suffered a recent
financial hardship and need temporary help in paying their electric
bill. The program funding is provided by Ohio Edison
customers and employees and the distribution of funds is
administered by Salvation Army offices located throughout Ohio
Edison's service area. To find an agency visit
www.firstenergycorp.com/ReachAgencies.
Toledo Edison
- Toledo Edison Neighbors Helping Neighbors is an emergency
hardship fund designed to help residential customers who have
suffered a recent financial hardship and need temporary help in
paying their electric bill. The program funding is provided
by Toledo Edison customers and employees. Customers can apply
at the Toledo Salvation Army or call 419-241-3549.
FirstEnergy Ohio utility residential customers also can manage
their electric bills through the FirstEnergy Equal Payment Plan
(EPP). With EPP, customers can make consistent monthly
payments to avoid seasonal highs and lows in their electric
bills. To apply or learn more about other company programs,
visit www.firstenergycorp.com or call 800-589-3101.
In addition to the payment options, FirstEnergy offers a Medical
Certification program. Disconnection of electric service
resulting from overdue bills can be delayed up to 30 days if it is
determined that the loss of electric service would be especially
dangerous to the health of a permanent member of a customer's
household. An appropriate health care professional must
complete a Medical Certification Form describing the resident's
medical condition. The Medical Certification process also can
be used to restore electric service after a customer has been
disconnected.
FirstEnergy also offers a program called Third Party
Notification where a relative, friend, clergy, or social service
agency can be notified along with the customer if electric service
is about to be disconnected. The third party is not obligated
to pay the overdue bills, but can help make payment arrangements
for the customer who might have difficulty paying their bill.
The Illuminating Company serves 750,000 customers across
Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake
and Lorain counties. Connect
with The Illuminating Company at www.illuminatingcompany.com, on
Twitter @IlluminatingCo and on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.
Ohio Edison is a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:
FE) and serves more than one million customers across 34
Ohio counties. Follow Ohio
Edison on Twitter @OhioEdison, on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/OhioEdison, and online at
www.ohioedison.com.
Toledo Edison serves more than 300,000 customers in northwest
Ohio. Follow Toledo Edison on Twitter @ToledoEdison or
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ToledoEdison.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and
operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution
companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric
systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New
Jersey, West Virginia,
Maryland and New York. The
company's transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles
of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic
regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at
www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter:
@FirstEnergyCorp.
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SOURCE FirstEnergy