The Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison Named 2024 Business Customer Champions by Escalent

The recognition highlights the companies' commitment to supporting businesses across the region

AKRON, Ohio, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE) electric companies The Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison have been named 2024 Business Customer Champions in a national study conducted by Escalent, a leading data analytics and advisory firm with extensive expertise in the energy and utility industry. The designation underscores the companies' dedication to fostering strong, engaged relationships with business customers throughout their Ohio service areas.

Escalent's Utility Trusted Brand & Customer Engagement study for business customers scores energy utility providers based on a 360-degree review of how they engage with businesses. The study evaluates 78 electric, gas and combination utilities throughout the United States, assessing factors such as trust, service satisfaction and community support. The Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison are among 24 utilities named Business Customer Champions for scoring above their industry peers for demonstrating exceptional engagement among business customers.

Torrence Hinton, FirstEnergy Ohio President: "We know that powering businesses is crucial to supporting the communities where we live and work. We are deeply honored to be a trusted partner to the business community and remain focused on providing safe, reliable power while innovating solutions that help them succeed."

The report highlights the companies' standout performance in key areas, including:

• Great customer service
• Tools and programs to help customers save energy
• Helping customers prepare for emergency situations
• Dedication to the safety of employees and the community
• Easy to understand and manageable monthly bills
• Communication through preferred methods
• Ease of doing business

Escalent's study also indicated that the 2024 Business Customer Champions demonstrated particularly strong performance among small businesses with less than $500,000 in annual revenue.

Michelle Henry, FirstEnergy Senior Vice President of Customer Experience: "We continuously work to be a trusted energy partner to our customers. We are committed to understanding the unique needs of businesses and providing them with the tools and resources they need. Strengthening these partnerships is central to how we help businesses thrive in the communities we serve."

Business customers of The Illuminating Company and Ohio Edison can access tools and resources to manage their electric account, including the Business Energy Analyzer to help maximize energy use, at illuminatingco.com and ohioedison.com.

Ohio Edison serves more than one million customers across 34 Ohio counties. Follow Ohio Edison on X @OhioEdison, on Facebook at facebook.com/OhioEdison and online at ohioedison.com.

The Illuminating Company serves approximately 755,000 customers across Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and Lorain counties. Connect with The Illuminating Company at illuminatingcompany.com, on X @IlluminatingCo, and on Facebook at facebook.com/IlluminatingCo.

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 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.

SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.