Top headlines of the week, April 18, 2026
Here are some stories you may have missed this week in Northeast Ohio.
Calculations from FirstEnergy show the Akron-based utility’s Ohio Edison subsidiary is charging more for the distribution portion of customer bills following a February order by a state regulator.
Beginning March 1, Ohio Edison customers using 1,000 kilowatt-hours per month began paying about 87 cents more on their monthly bills, FirstEnergy spokesperson Jennifer Young said via email.
In reality, Ohio Edison customers could see a smaller monthly bill increase than 87 cents because residential customers tend to use less than 1,000 kWh of electricity per month. Average residential electricity use in Ohio was 846 kWh per month in 2024, according to an October report from the U.S. Energy Information Administration.
The monthly bill increases follow a Feb. 18 order from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio for Ohio Edison, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Toledo Edison to collect about $245 million in storm restoration expenses from customers over a 25-year period, as opposed to a five-year period that the PUCO previously authorized.
Meanwhile, Illuminating Co. customers who use 1,000 kWh per month are paying about $9.67 more per month and Toledo Edison customers using that amount of electricity are paying about $5.05 less per month following the PUCO decision.
Patrick Williams covers growth and development for the Akron Beacon Journal. He can be reached by email at pwilliams@usatodayco.com or on X @pwilliamsOH. Sign up for the Beacon Journal’s business and consumer newsletter, “What’s The Deal?“
