Full service
18.39¢
per kWh, 2025 average revenue
$144.81 / month at 788 kWh
Price +17.5% from 2024
Investor Owned · 1,047,687 residential customers · New Jersey
Why is my Jersey Central Power & Light electric bill so high?
EIA respondent: Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. Reviewed October 14, 2026. Also searched as FirstEnergy.
In 2025, Jersey Central Power & Light reported 955,852 residential full service customers under the EIA name Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. Average revenue was 18.39¢ per kWh. The average monthly bill in that filing was $144.81 for 788 kWh.
18.39¢ is below New Jersey's 2025 statewide residential average of 22.48¢. In July 2026 the state residential price was 25.19¢, versus 25.32¢ a year earlier (−0.5%). The utility number is a 2025 annual average. The state number is one later month. They answer different questions.
From 2024 to 2025, the average monthly bill for full service changed +17.0%. Average use changed −0.5% and average price changed +17.5%. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change accounts for −$0.57 a month. The price change, applied to 2025 usage, accounts for $21.55.
EIA Form 861, 2025 final · Reviewed October 14, 2026
EIA Electric Power Monthly, Table 5.6.A · Reviewed October 14, 2026
Delivery only
4.90¢
per kWh, 2025 average revenue
$39.87 / month at 814 kWh
Price −7.2% from 2024
The rate on the record
Investor-owned base rates are usually set in a state docket. Riders can change outside a full rate case. Average revenue per kilowatt-hour is total residential revenue divided by residential sales. It is not a tariff schedule.
| Service | Customers | Price | Monthly use | Monthly bill | Vs 2024 price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full service | 955,852 | 18.39¢ | 788 kWh | $144.81 | +17.5% |
| Delivery only | 91,835 | 4.90¢ | 814 kWh | $39.87 | −7.2% |
EIA-861 sales to ultimate customers, 2025 final, compared with 2024 · Reviewed October 14, 2026
By state
| State | Service | Customers | Price | Monthly bill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NJ | Full service | 955,852 | 18.39¢ | $144.81 |
| NJ | Delivery only | 91,835 | 4.90¢ | $39.87 |
Audit the full service average
Revenue 1,661,049.4 thousand dollars. Sales 9,034,595 MWh. Customers 955,852. Cents per kWh = revenue ÷ megawatt-hours × 100. Monthly bill = revenue × 1,000 ÷ customers ÷ 12.
Audit the delivery only average
Revenue 43,940.5 thousand dollars. Sales 896,618 MWh. Customers 91,835. Cents per kWh = revenue ÷ megawatt-hours × 100. Monthly bill = revenue × 1,000 ÷ customers ÷ 12.
Why a Jersey Central Power & Light bill moved
Usage and price pulled in opposite directions
From 2024 to 2025 the average full service bill at Jersey Central Power & Light moved +17.0%, from $123.82 to $144.81. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change of −0.5% is worth −$0.57 a month. The price change of +17.5%, from 15.65¢ to 18.39¢, is worth $21.55 on 2025 usage.
Below the New Jersey average
18.39¢ per kWh is below New Jersey's 2025 residential average of 22.48¢. July 2026 in the state was 25.19¢, versus 25.32¢ a year earlier (−0.5%). The utility figure is a full year of average revenue. The state figure is one later month. A household that uses more than 788 kWh will not land on $144.81.
One full-service average
955,852 residential customers were on Jersey Central Power & Light full service in 2025, at 18.39¢ per kWh. That average folds in the customer charge and whatever riders the utility booked as residential revenue. It is not the last block on a tiered tariff.
Season
The 2025 monthly average for this Jersey Central Power & Light service was 788 kWh, and the New Jersey residential average was 670 kWh. A single month can sit far from either figure. Compare kilowatt-hours with the same month last year before you treat the whole increase as a rate hike.
Time-of-use is already on the EIA schedule
EIA's 2025 dynamic-pricing file shows residential time-of-use activity at Jersey Central Power & Light, with 12,882 residential customers enrolled in dynamic pricing. The expensive window is in the tariff, not in that enrollment count. Shifting a dishwasher or an EV charger only helps if you are actually on that schedule.
EIA-861 2025 and 2024 residential sales · Reviewed October 14, 2026
Rate cases and hikes
Needs verification No rate case for Jersey Central Power & Light has been reviewed for this page. Orders and pending dockets are public at New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. Investor-owned base rates are usually set in a public docket. Municipal and cooperative rates may be set by a city or a co-op board instead. Which body sets this utility's rates needs verification.
New Jersey Board of Public Utilities · Reviewed October 14, 2026
Assistance
LIHEAP is the federal bill program, and the state contact list is the place to start. A Jersey Central Power & Light income discount, medical baseline, or budget-billing rule was not retrieved from New Jersey Board of Public Utilities. That offer needs verification.
LIHEAP program · State and territory contacts · Jersey Central Power & Light site
The company homepage is linked for navigation. Program rules on that site were not reviewed. Needs verification.
LIHEAP · Reviewed October 14, 2026
How to lower the bill
- Read the kilowatt-hours against this filing's average of 788 kWh a month. If your use is the thing that moved, the dollar total can rise on an unchanged rate.
- On the statement, separate the base energy charge from fuel or rider lines. A rider can move the total in a month when no new base-rate order exists.
- Match this month's weather to last year's same month. A mild comparison month makes an ordinary bill look like a hike.
- Start with LIHEAP for New Jersey (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/map/liheap-map-state-and-territory-contact-listing). A Jersey Central Power & Light discount beyond that program needs verification.
- 12,882 residential customers were already on a dynamic price in the 2025 EIA file. If you are one of them, the window on the tariff is the lever. If you are not, calling the utility to discuss the schedule is the first step, not shifting load you are not being charged extra for.
- If the read is marked estimated, the next actual read can true the account up or down. The tariff rule for that true-up needs verification.
Full service at the 2025 average price
| Monthly use | Estimated bill |
|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $91.95 |
| 750 kWh | $137.93 |
| 1,000 kWh | $183.90 |
| 1,500 kWh | $275.85 |
| 2,000 kWh | $367.80 |
Usage times the average price. At very low use, a real bill is often higher because a fixed customer charge does not shrink. The tariff needs verification.
Delivery only at the 2025 average price
| Monthly use | Estimated bill |
|---|---|
| 500 kWh | $24.50 |
| 750 kWh | $36.75 |
| 1,000 kWh | $49.00 |
| 1,500 kWh | $73.50 |
| 2,000 kWh | $98.00 |
Usage times the average price. At very low use, a real bill is often higher because a fixed customer charge does not shrink. The tariff needs verification.
Questions people ask
Why is my Jersey Central Power & Light electric bill so high?
In 2025, Jersey Central Power & Light reported 955,852 residential full service customers under the EIA name Jersey Central Power & Lt Co. Average revenue was 18.39¢ per kWh. The average monthly bill in that filing was $144.81 for 788 kWh. 18.39¢ is below New Jersey's 2025 statewide residential average of 22.48¢. In July 2026 the state residential price was 25.19¢, versus 25.32¢ a year earlier (−0.5%). The utility number is a 2025 annual average. The state number is one later month. They answer different questions. From 2024 to 2025, the average monthly bill for full service changed +17.0%. Average use changed −0.5% and average price changed +17.5%. Holding the 2024 price fixed, the usage change accounts for −$0.57 a month. The price change, applied to 2025 usage, accounts for $21.55.
What was Jersey Central Power & Light's average residential rate?
Using 2025 EIA-861 revenue and sales, the full service average was 18.39¢ per kWh. Average use was 788 kWh a month and the average bill was $144.81. This folds in whatever customer charges and riders the utility reported. It is not the marginal rate on your tariff.
Did Jersey Central Power & Light raise rates?
The full service average price changed +17.5% from 2024 to 2025, from 15.65¢ to 18.39¢. That is average revenue per kilowatt-hour, not a commission order. No 2025–2026 order for this utility was retrieved for this page. A separate rider can still move a single month.
What bill assistance can Jersey Central Power & Light customers ask about?
LIHEAP is the federal program for home energy bills (https://www.acf.hhs.gov/ocs/programs/liheap). Jersey Central Power & Light may also offer an income-qualified discount, budget billing, or a medical baseline. The current offer, income cutoff, and how to apply need verification on the utility site and with the state LIHEAP office and New Jersey Board of Public Utilities.
Are data centers why this bill went up?
Large computing load is raising U.S. electricity demand, and regulators can later recover new generation and wires costs from customers. EIA has not published a dollar line that isolates data centers on this utility's residential bill. That pass-through needs verification.