AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 8, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE:FE) announced that the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) has approved a comprehensive settlement agreement that will deliver $275 million in restitution and refunds to Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison customers.

The PUCO's approval of the collaborative settlement represents a significant step forward for FirstEnergy and the communities we serve. The agreement resolves four regulatory proceedings — the Corporate Separation Rider, Rider DMR and Rider DCR matters addressed in the PUCO's Nov. 19, 2025 orders, as well as the pending review of Political and Charitable Spending — and returns $250 million directly to customers. The settlement also adds an additional $5 million in credits specifically for residential customers.

As a result, the average residential customer using 1,000 kWh per month is expected to receive approximately $65.61 in bill credits over three months. The settlement also dedicates $20 million to programs that support residential customers through low‑income bill assistance, weatherization and energy‑efficiency initiatives.

Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy President, Ohio: "This agreement is a major step that allows us to move past legacy issues while showing our commitment to putting customers first and working transparently with regulators and stakeholders. With these proceedings resolved, we are focused on delivering value today and investing $14 billion in our Ohio transmission and distribution infrastructure, workforce and facilities through 2029 to build a stronger, more resilient energy future for the state."

What Customers Can Expect

Reflecting the effect of the settlement combined with the proposed impact of the Nov. 19, 2025, PUCO rate review order (which is subject to any PUCO adjustments and final approval), residential customers using 1,000 kWh per month are expected to see the following average monthly bill impacts compared to January 2026 bills:

Toledo Edison: Decrease of ($17.81) per month
Ohio Edison: Decrease of ($13.27) per month
The Illuminating Company: Decrease of ($1.02) per month

When the temporary credits and charges from these orders expire, the estimated impact compared to average residential customer bills in January 2026 will be:

Toledo Edison: Decrease of ($3.08) per month
Ohio Edison: Increase of $2.42 per month
The Illuminating Company: Increase of $13.69 per month

FirstEnergy is dedicated to integrity, safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy on X @FirstEnergyCorp or online at firstenergycorp.com.

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the risks and uncertainties associated with litigation, arbitration, mediation and similar proceedings, particularly regarding HB 6 related matters; changes in national and regional economic conditions, including recession, volatile interest rates, inflationary pressure, supply chain disruptions, higher fuel costs, workforce impacts, affecting us and/or our customers and those vendors with which we do business; variations in weather, such as mild seasonal weather variations and severe weather conditions (including events caused, or exacerbated, by climate change, such as wildfires, hurricanes, flooding, droughts, high wind events and extreme heat events) and other natural disasters, which may result in increased storm restoration expenses or material liability and negatively affect future operating results; the potential liabilities and increased costs arising from regulatory actions or outcomes in response to severe weather conditions and other natural disasters; legislative and regulatory developments, and executive orders, including, but not limited to, matters related to rates, energy regulatory policies, compliance and enforcement activity, cyber security, climate change, and equity and inclusion; 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changing market conditions affecting the measurement of certain liabilities and the value of assets held in our pension trusts may negatively impact our forecasted growth rate, results of operations and may also cause it to make contributions to its pension sooner or in amounts that are larger than currently anticipated; changes in assumptions regarding factors such as economic conditions within our territories, the reliability of our transmission and distribution system, our generation resource planning in West Virginia, or the availability of capital or other resources supporting identified transmission and distribution investment opportunities; human capital management challenges, including among other things, attracting and retaining appropriately trained and qualified employees and labor disruptions by our unionized workforce; mitigating exposure for remedial activities associated with retired and formerly owned electric generation assets, including those sites impacted by the legacy coal combustion residual rules that were finalized during 2024, and the Environmental Protection Agency's reconsideration of such rule; changes to environmental laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, federal and state rules related to climate change, and potential changes to such laws and regulations as a result of the U.S. presidential administration; changes in customers' demand for power, including, but not limited to, economic conditions, the impact of climate change, and emerging technology including artificial intelligence, particularly with respect to electrification, energy storage and distributed sources of generation; future actions taken by credit rating agencies that could negatively affect either our access to or terms of financing or our financial condition and liquidity; the potential of noncompliance with debt covenants in our credit facilities; the ability to comply with applicable reliability standards and energy efficiency and peak demand reduction mandates; changes to significant accounting policies; any changes in tax laws or regulations, including, but not limited to, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025, as signed into law on July 4, 2025, or adverse tax audit results or rulings and potential changes to such laws and regulations; the ability to meet our publicly-disclosed goals relating to climate-related matters, opportunities, improvements, and efficiencies, including FirstEnergy's Greenhouse gas reduction goals' and the risks and other factors discussed from time to time in FirstEnergy Corp.'s SEC filings. 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New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for management to predict all such factors, nor assess the impact of any such factor on FirstEnergy Corp.'s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. FirstEnergy Corp. expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise, except as required by law, any forward-looking statements contained herein or in the information incorporated by reference as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.

PUCO Approves FirstEnergy Settlement, Delivering Customer Benefits