Fix First HomeWhat home-upgrade rebates actually pay — and who you apply to.

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FirstEnergy Ohio Community Connections and income-qualified smart thermostat open

Administered by Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company and Toledo Edison (FirstEnergy), through local community action agencies.

FirstEnergy's three Ohio utilities pay no rebates to ordinary customers. Households at or below 200% of the poverty line ($66,000 for four), owners or renters, get a free energy evaluation and improvements such as air sealing, attic and wall insulation and appliance replacement through Community Connections; at or below 300% ($99,000), a free smart thermostat, one per account.

source · verified 27 September 2026 · amounts in US dollars

What it pays

No published cap — and that is the honest answer

Free, and no value is published: the agencies do the work, and the thermostat is mailed to you.

Community Connections, depending on your electricity use

  • An in-home energy use evaluation
  • Sealing air leaks in attic walls or foundations
  • Attic and wall insulation
  • Appliance testing and possible replacement
  • Electric water heater inspection, faucet aerators and energy education

Who is eligible

Income lines (2026 federal poverty guidelines)
People in householdCommunity Connections (200%)Free smart thermostat (300%)
1$31,920$47,880
2$43,280$64,920
3$54,640$81,960
4$66,000$99,000
5$77,360$116,040
6$88,720$133,080
7$100,080$150,120
8$111,440$167,160
who
Residential customers of Ohio Edison, The Illuminating Company or Toledo Edison; homeowners and renters.
thermostat
Order with your 12-digit account number or an invitation code; account changes can take up to five weeks to show, delivery one to four weeks. One per account.
funding
Limited and subject to availability.

Where the application goes

Community Connections through the agency listed for your utility and county; the thermostat online.

Where the application goes
If this is youApply here
The Illuminating CompanyAshtabula County Community Action Agency, 440-997-5957; Cleveland Housing Network, 216-574-7100
Toledo EdisonNHS of Toledo, 419-691-2900; Pathway, 419-242-7304; WSOS, 419-334-8911
Ohio EdisonThe agency for your county on FirstEnergy's Community Connections page
Free smart thermostatmarketplace.energysaveoh.com

The thing most pages get wrong

Blog posts describe a FirstEnergy Ohio smart thermostat rebate of $100 for everyone and up to $150 for low-income homes, and trade press a proposed $50 rebate. FirstEnergy's live Ohio pages offer only the free thermostat to households at or below 300% of the poverty line, one per account.

The appliance rebates ended in 2024

FirstEnergy's Ohio appliance rebates, including $500 for a heat pump water heater, ran until May 2024. Its Three-Year Rate Plan, filed in May 2026 and pending before the PUCO, would continue Community Connections and the income-eligible thermostat.

Sources