CLEVELAND — Larry Bresler is shopping around for a new power supplier. He’s found options on the Public Utility Commission of Ohio’s website.

What You Need To Know

  • FirstEnergy is set to increase their rates. 

  • The company said rising natural gas costs play a factor in the increases. 

  • Customers may have options for different energy suppliers that may cost less. 

This comes after an announcement from FirstEnergy that they'll be increasing their rates, starting in June. The company said rising natural gas costs play a factor in the increased rates. FirstEnergy said an Ohio residential customer using 750 kWh is estimated to see an increase of approximately 48% on their bill.

But in Ohio you can choose who supplies the electricity to your home.

Bresler said he’s leaning toward what’s called a municipal aggregate option, where the power comes from the town he lives in. It may not be the cheapest option, but he said it’s a fixed rate that won’t change during the contract. A variable option may be cheaper but could change at any time.

“So we might be able to get a cheaper plan elsewhere to start out, but it could go up way much higher than the 7.71 per kilowatt hour,” Bresler said. “And we know we’re locked in. We’re gonna pay the same rates, regardless.”

Matt Schilling is with the Public Utility Commission of Ohio. He said another reason behind the rate hike is FirstEnergy's decision to buy their energy through another supplier through an auction. He said the option to change suppliers has existed in Ohio since 2001.

“Your local utility, which owns the infrastructure and delivers power to our homes and business, you can’t choose who that is," Schilling said. "That’s by virtue of where you live. However, you can choose the energy company that actually feeds the electricity into the wire.”

Schilling said options can vary depending on where you live and whether you’re already locked into a contract with another supplier.

“In times where we are seeing inflated prices for all the reasons we just discussed, energy choice is a great option for a consumer to, whether it lower their bills," Schilling said. "Or even as you noted, even if it’s not the lowest price, lock in a fixed rate over a set period of times.”

Bresler said even though he’s changing providers to save money on energy, he will have to monitor what uses a lot of juice, such as his air conditioning system.

“If we need to conserve a little more we will do that," Bresler said. 

Bresler said the increases could affect people on thinner budgets, which is why he hopes others can find a new supplier that works for them.

“When the summertime comes, people certainly have some health issues and they need to keep their apartments cool," Bresler said. "And if they can’t afford to do so, what’s that gonna do for their health?”

FirstEnergy said if customers don’t want to change suppliers, they will be charged by them by default. Both FirstEnergy and the Public Utility Commission said the company won’t make any profits off of the rate hikes. They’ll just cover the increased costs of doing business.