Compare Illuminating Company Service Electricity Rates & Save 30+%

The Illuminating Company Service Territory

The Illuminating Company services more than 700,000 customers living in some or all of the following counties in northeastern Ohio:

The Illuminating Company serves these cities:

• Avon
• Cleveland
• Lakewood
• North Olmstead
• Painesville

How to Start New Illuminating Company Service

Starting electricity service with CEI is fast and easy. Just visit the FirstEnergy web site and simply fill in the online Start Service form.

Start requests take at least 2 days to process. If your service is delayed longer than 2 days, the utility is required to to provide reasons in writing.

Customers should call the utility's Contact Center if they need their service turned on sooner.

Be ready to supply:

• Service Address: The address where you want your service turned on or switched.
• The start date for electricity service.
• Personal Information: You will need your name, phone number, email address, and your Social Security Number. These will be required.
• Unfrozen Credit: If you have frozen your credit with any of the major credit agencies, you will need to have it temporarily unfrozen. The utility will do a soft credit check to determine if a deposit is required.

Will I Need to Pay a Deposit?

Ohio utilities check your credit worthiness before setting up an account and to determine whether you will need to pay a deposit. To qualify, you'll need one of the following:

• Have a prior account within the last two years with no more than two late payments or with no previous service disconnected within the last twelve months.
• Be a credit-worthy property owner. It helps to know your credit score ahead of time.
• Have a guarantor who is a customer with the utility company and can pay your bills within 60 days if you fail to do so

Ohio utility deposits can be no more the customer's estimated average 30-day bill plus 30%.

Understand the Illuminating Company Distribution and Supply Charges

Your electric bill is composed of the electricity Distribution charges and the Supply charges.

Distribution Charges consists of a flat customer charge per account and a distribution charge in cents per kWh for delivering electricity across the utility's local grid to a customer's home. All CEI's residential customers pay the same distribution rate no matter who supplies their electricity. PUCO regulates distribution charges and these rates usually last several years before being reviewed.

Electricity Supply Charges represent the cost for the electricity supplied in kWh by your utility or a retail supplier. Energy Choice charges from "alternative" or retail suppliers are listed on your bill under "Charges from Electric Generation Supplier".

What is the Illuminating Company Price to Compare?

CEI's Price to Compare (PTC) is a PUCO-approved default rate for electricity generation supply if you don't want to shop for retail supplier. The rate is a pass-through and represents the actual price CEI pays for the electricity.

Because rates are determined during periodic auctions, CEI's PTC rate only lasts for a few months at a time and not for a full year. That means you might pay low prices in some months, higher in others.

The Illuminating Company Current PTC Rate

Residential: 7.190 cents per kWh

Expiration date: 7/31/2025

Which Costs More? The Illuminating Company PTC vs Energy Choice

PUCO estimates that the average Ohio monthly usage rate is 750 kWh. Therefore, an average PTC bill roughly breaks down like this:

NOTE: Some Ohio municipal utilities purchase power for their local residents. Usually residents need to pay an opt-out fee if they don't want their electricity service to be aggregated. Check with your local government to learn how you might be effected.

Understand Ohio Energy Choice

Ohio's electricity customers are free to choose a state certified retail electricity supplier. There are many different providers in the Illuminating Company service area, offering a huge variety of plans at competitive rates.

Certified retail suppliers compete with each to buy cheap electricity on the wholesale markets so they can attract more consumers the lowest rates. That way, residents can compare and shop to find the best deal that best suits for their needs. For this reason, Ohio retail electricity supplier rates are not controlled by PUCO. While shopping for electricity may seem confusing, customers can use their utility's PTC to compare offers by certified retail electricity suppliers. This way you can more easily judge which are the cheapest rates.

Shopping for the right electricity plan at the right rate is generally a straightforward process. But not everyone has the same needs. That's why retail electricity suppliers in Ohio offer two types of plans:

• Fixed Electricity Rates are just plans where the price rate for the electricity doesn't change over the term of the contract. Different retail suppliers offer term plans from 6 to 36 months, meaning customers can count on stability and predictable monthly bills for months or years, depending on their preferences. However, early cancellation fees for breaking a contract could apply.
• Variable Rates Don't want to commit to an electricity plan for months or years? You can choose a variable plan. Variable plan rates on these contracts can change from month to month depending on the price of electricity. So your rate could go up one month or down the next. However, these plans don't have any termination fees and this allows customers the flexibility to shop for new rates and switch to better deals without paying any penalty.

Understand Your Illuminating Company Electric Usage

While your electricity usage habits are unique to you, any Ohio native will tell you that winters can be bitterly cold and summers can be oppressively humid and hot.

Average Annual Usage Breakdown

• Nearly one-fourth (24.3%) of Ohio homes use electricity for space heating.
• 60% of homes in the East North Central region of the U.S. have air conditioning. In Ohio, residents use an average of 6% to 12% of their total annual energy costs for air conditioning.
• The remainder of eletricity use goes to refrigeration, lighting, electronics, clothes dryers, and small appliances.

Not sure how much electricity you really use?

CEI customers can request up to 24 months of their electric usage plus other relevant information free of charge.

The best way to cut your electricity bill is to reduce your usage:

• Seal your doors and windows against winter and summer drafts. Not only does it keep out the cold or hot air but it also reduces the amount of mold, pollen, and other allergens getting into your home.
• Add insulation to your attic, basement, and duct work.
• Install a programmable or smart thermostat. Programming it to set-back the temperature when you're away or inactive can improve your home's energy efficiency and help cut your electric bills.

Your utility company can provide a wealth of resources and offers programs to help you improve your home's energy performance.

Understanding Your Illuminating Company Bill

Your CEI bill comes packed full with lots of information. Though these can be confusing to customers, they also help you better understand your usage and rate. Here is where we break down the most important items on a sample Illuminating Company electric bill.

• A, B, & C: Bill Overview. It includes your address and personal account number, the billing period, the amount due, and the date that the bill is due.
• D & E: Messages and current PTC rate. Here you find important notifications from the company as well as current Price to Compare rate.
• F: Account Summary shows the amounts of any unpaid balances, current distribution charges, current supply charges, the total bill and the due date.
• G: Meter Summary: This shows the usage information measured by the electric meter at your address.
• H: Charges listed the utility here include the type of rate you are being charged, the monthly customer charge, the distribution charges, and the total.
• I: Charges from Electric Generation Supplier show the name and address of your electricity supplier, their base rate charged, and the total supplier charges due.
• J: Account Balances by Company lays out the amounts that have been paid or are owed to your utility and your supplier.
• K: Shows your usage history per bill over the course of the past year to help you compare your energy use over time and understand trends.
• L: Payment Stub. Just detach and return with your payment. It also includes your account number, amount paid, amount due, and the due date.

The Illuminating Company Coupons, Energy Promotions, Discounts, Rebates and Promo Codes

As your local utility, CEI offers few options and discounts available to help its customers save some money. Some programs offer money-saving incentives while others could make paying your monthly bills easier and may even help you qualify for a discounted electricity rate.

Note: In compliance with the Order from the Public Utility Commission of Ohio, FirstEnergy's Ohio Utilities ended all energy efficiency programs on September 30, 2020.

The Illuminating Company Reviews

Because CEI serves a large-segment market, knowing how well it ranks among other similar-sized utilities can tell you a lot about how well it serves its customers. While the Illuminating Company is not accredited with the BBB, it was well-rated in J.D. Power's 2021 utility residential customer satisfaction study. The utility also rated well in Escalent's 2021 Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement™: Residential study.

Electricity Out? Wires Down? Here's who you contact

Having a problem with your electricity service? Here's the proper people to call:

• Unpaid Bill? - If you have trouble paying your monthly bill call the Illuminating Company's Customer Service: 1-800-589-3101.
• In the Dark? - You have 3 convenient ways to report outages or downed powerlines in your area:

1. Call 1-888-LIGHTSS (1-888-544-4877)
2. Text OUT to 544487 (LIGHTS)
3. Report an outage on-line

All power transmission lines are extremely dangerous! Never attempt to move a downed power line by yourself. Call 911 and then notifiy the Illuminating Company!

What!? There's still no power?

You can track outage repairs throughout the Illuminating Company service area on this map.

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