Toledo Edison assistance & service programs
This page describes a variety of programs that can help when it comes to paying your electric bill, including convenient bill payment programs, ones with available funding to help pay your bills, and programs that address medical needs. You can scroll through this page, or select a link below to take you right to that section:
Convenient ways to pay your bill
Help paying your bill
Special assistance programs - medical needs and notification
Convenient ways to pay your bill
Search this Web site for more information, or contact Toledo Edison about the following programs:
Online Bill Payment. You can pay your electric bill anytime - day or night, 365 days a year - through our electric companies' customer service Web site at www.firstenergycorp.com. Just register your account and follow the prompts. Your payment is safe, secure, and convenient. For more information on the variety of payment options, review this section.
Checkless Payment Plan. Our Checkless Payment Plan automatically deducts your payment from your checking or savings account every month. You don't have to worry about writing checks, buying stamps, or losing your payment in the mail.
Equal Payment Plan. Our Equal Payment Plan (EPP) offers you the convenience of making consistent monthly payments and avoiding the normal seasonal highs and lows in your electric bills.
As an EPP customer, each month you are billed one-twelfth of your annual estimated usage. Your account will be reviewed quarterly to determine if your payment amount should change to better reflect your actual usage. If the review results in a change to the EPP amount, you will get a message on your bill advising you of the new amount, which will become effective the following month. On the twelfth month of your payment plan year - your anniversary month - your amount due may be higher or lower than your usual EPP amount in order to bring your balance for the year to zero. Then your account is reviewed to ensure the appropriate payment amount for the new plan year.
There is no charge to be an EPP customer, but if you decide to return to standard billing, contact us. For more information on this plan, click here.
Extended Due Date. If you are at least 60 years old and receive a Social Security or pension check, or if you receive disability assistance, and your electric bill is usually due just before your monthly benefit check comes, we can extend your payment due date until after your check arrives.
Extended Payment Plan. If conditions make it difficult to pay your electric bill on time, we can arrange an extended payment plan. This maintains service while you make payments more suited to your financial situation.
Military Deferred Payment Program 1-800-447-3333. This program is designed to assist customers who are having financial difficulties because their family members have been called to active military duty. Customers participating in the program may elect to defer paying either all or a part of their monthly electric bill. When the family member in the military service returns home, the account will be reviewed to determine payment arrangements for the balance owed.
Customers who have switched to an alternative generation supplier may defer the charges paid to their supplier only if that supplier offers a deferred payment program. If your supplier does not offer a deferred payment program, the supplier charges must be paid each month.
Help paying your bill
Call the numbers associated with each of the following programs for further information:
Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) 1-800-447-3333. The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) is an extended payment arrangement that allows regulated gas and electric companies to accept payments based on a percentage of a customer's household income. Eligible customers have a household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
Customers enrolled in this program must pay a percentage of their household income - the PIPP Amount - during winter months. During summer months, customers must pay either the PIPP Amount or the current bill amount, whichever is higher. Participants are still responsible for paying the unpaid balances that accrue while enrolled in PIPP; however, they will maintain electric service as long as the PIPP Amount is paid each winter month.
Customers who are no longer eligible for PIPP because of their household income may participate in the PIPP Arrearage Crediting (PAC) plan. PAC helps customers pay off the amount in arrears that was deferred while enrolled in PIPP.
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) 1-800-447-3333. HEAP is a federally funded grant program administered by the State of Ohio Department of Development through a network of local community action agencies. HEAP provides customers help with paying winter heating bills, and occasionally summer cooling bills.
HEAP has two components:
1. HEAP Cash Program - Annual grant to help with heating costs.
2. HEAP Emergency Program - Provides an emergency payment (once per heating season) for qualified low-income customers. The payment must be used to avoid a shutoff or restore electric service. Application dates are October through April.
Neighbors Helping Neighbors Toledo Salvation Army (419-241-3549). 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. Program funding is provided by Toledo Edison customers, company employees, and FirstEnergy shareholders. The distribution of funds is administered by the Toledo Salvation Army.
To make a contribution to Neighbors Helping Neighbors, please complete and return this contribution form (pdf).
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Ohio Energy Credit (OEC) Program 1-800-282-4310. Customers who are permanently disabled or 65 years or older, might be eligible for a credit up to 30% on winter heating bills. Administered by the Ohio Department of Taxation.
Emergency Assistance. Help in paying utility bills may also be available to low-income residents through local county departments of human services, community action agencies, the soldier's relief commissions, or veteran's services offices. Consult the blue pages of your telephone directory for listings.
Special assistance programs - medical needs and notifications
Contact Toledo Edison for the following programs:
Critical Customer Care Program. The Critical Customer Care Program identifies customers who use certain electrically operated life sustaining medical equipment in their home. The program helps customers - for whom a service interruption could be immediately life threatening, or would make operation of necessary medical or life supporting equipment impossible or impractical - prepare for planned and unplanned power outages. Please call us if someone in your home uses this type of medical equipment.
Medical Certification. Customers with severe health problems may have a licensed physician certify that, for serious health reasons, service should not be disconnected for nonpayment.
Gatekeeper Program 1-800-207-9276. Gatekeeper is a program where company personnel recognize and report customers who may be in distress. Situations include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Communication - a person who appears confused or disoriented
- Economic condition - someone expresses difficulty with paying bills
- Social condition - older persons living alone or socially isolated
- Physical limitations - severe difficulty seeing, speaking, hearing, or moving around
- Condition of home - structure in need of repair, neglected yard, accumulation of newspapers, offensive odors, or unattended pets
Third Party Notification. Select a third party (a friend, relative, clergy, or social service agency) to be notified, along with yourself, if your electric service is about to be disconnected. The third party is not obligated to pay overdue bills, but can remind you of pending disconnection and help you make payment arrangements.
(5/31/07)
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