In short: Toledo Edison serves Toledo, and in 2024 its customers lost about 2 hours of power including major storms, the least of Ohio’s six big investor-owned utilities (EIA). Standard-offer homes paid about 16.6¢ per kWh. The risk to plan for is ice: Lucas County is rated “very high” for ice storm losses (FEMA).
This page covers backup power, solar, batteries and EV charging in Toledo. Ohio’s net metering rule, contractor licensing and state prices are in our Ohio energy guide.
Toledo at a glance
- Toledo Edison (FirstEnergy): about 16.6¢ per kWh on average in 2024 for homes buying supply from Toledo Edison; 121 minutes of outages per customer with major events, 95 without, and about one interruption a year (EIA-861, 2024). About 72% of its home customers buy supply from another company.
- Home solar: 636 net-metered home solar systems on Toledo Edison’s lines in 2024, 51 with a battery (EIA-861).
- Sun: about 3.8 kWh per square meter per day (NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020). Our rough estimate: about 1,120 kWh a year per kW of panels, more than Cleveland and a little less than Columbus.
- Top hazards: Lucas County is “very high” for ice storms and “relatively high” for tornadoes, strong wind, hail, lightning, flooding, cold waves and winter weather (FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025).
- Public charging: 122 ports at 44 locations in Toledo (AFDC, October 3, 2026).
Your utility and what it means
Toledo Edison owns the wires and restores outages. You can buy the supply part from its standard offer or from a supplier certified by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio; compare offers on PUCO’s Energy Choice Ohio site. Rural parts of Lucas County are served by Tricounty Rural Electric Cooperative, which sets its own rules.
- Net metering: under FirstEnergy’s Net Energy Metering Rider, each kWh you export offsets a kWh you buy in the same month. Any excess is credited only at the generation part of your rate and applied to future bills; customer charges still apply. If you buy supply from another company, ask how it credits exports.
- Connection steps: apply to Toledo Edison before connecting; fit an outside disconnect within 10 feet of the meter; pass the electrical inspection; then Toledo Edison installs a two-way meter.
- Programs: we found no current Toledo Edison battery or EV charger rebate to confirm; ask the utility.
Backup power in Toledo
Toledo’s 2024 outage record was mild by Ohio standards: about 121 minutes per customer even with major events, compared with 234 for Ohio Edison, 272 for AEP Ohio and over 1,900 for the Illuminating Company after Cleveland’s August storm (EIA). One good year is not a promise, though. FEMA rates Lucas County “very high” for ice storm losses, and ice is what causes long, cold outages, with many lines down at once when a furnace blower and sump pump both need power.
For most Toledo homes, backup for a day or so covers the likely outage. A portable power station handles phones, Wi-Fi and medical devices; a home battery keeps the furnace blower, fridge and sump pump going automatically. If you want days of cover for an ice storm, a natural gas standby generator or a portable generator with a transfer switch does that. Compare them in backup power options and size them with the battery backup calculator and generator sizing tool.
Ice-storm safety: the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission says to run a generator outdoors only, at least 20 feet from the house, exhaust away from doors, windows and vents, and never in a garage. Use battery-backed carbon monoxide alarms. A transfer switch or interlock needs a licensed electrician and a permit; see generator installation.
Solar in Toledo
By our rough estimate, a kW of panels in Toledo makes about 1,120 kWh a year on a flat surface; a south-facing, unshaded roof usually does better, and December sunlight is about a fifth of June’s (NASA POWER). A 6 kW system would make roughly 6,700 kWh. Used at home as it is made, that would be worth up to about $1,120 a year at Toledo Edison’s 2024 average of 16.6¢. Exports earn only the generation part of the rate, so size the system to your own use. These are estimates, not promises.
Model your roof with the solar potential tool, test quotes in the solar savings calculator, and read solar installation and how net metering works.
Batteries in Toledo
With fewer storm outages than most of Ohio in 2024, the bill side matters more here: a battery stores midday solar for the evening instead of exporting it at the generation-only credit. It also covers the essentials in an ice-storm outage. Toledo’s solar checklist asks for energy storage to be shown on the plans, so include the battery from the start. We found no confirmed utility or state battery rebate. See home battery installation and home battery cost.
EV charging in Toledo
Toledo has 122 public charging ports (AFDC, October 3, 2026). At Toledo Edison’s 2024 average of 16.6¢ and about 30 kWh per 100 miles, home charging costs roughly $5 per 100 miles by our estimate; a supplier’s price changes that. A Level 2 charger needs a licensed electrician and an electrical permit; see EV charger installation and the EV charging cost calculator.
Drive on another fuel? See every alternative fuel station in Toledo: hydrogen, propane, natural gas, E85 ethanol, biodiesel and renewable diesel.
Permits and inspections
- City of Toledo: the Division of Building Inspection at One Government Center reviews plans, issues permits and inspects. It launched an online permit portal in September 2024.
- Solar: the city’s solar PV permitting checklist requires a building permit and an electrical permit, with two sets of Ohio-stamped engineered plans that include a structural analysis. Ground-mounted systems that are the main use of a lot also need a zoning permit. The checklist says solar permits must be submitted to the office; ask whether the newer portal now accepts them.
- Generators and EV chargers: need an electrical permit and a licensed electrician.
- Utility approval and HOAs: Toledo Edison must approve the connection before solar is switched on; get written HOA approval before you sign.
Cities we cover
- Toledo
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Toledo energy FAQ
Are power outages common in Toledo?
Less than elsewhere in Ohio in 2024. Toledo Edison customers averaged about 121 outage minutes including major events, the lowest of the state’s six big investor-owned utilities (EIA). Ice storms are still Lucas County’s top-rated weather risk, so a plan for a day or more without power makes sense.
What permits does solar need in Toledo?
A building permit and an electrical permit from the Division of Building Inspection, with two sets of Ohio-stamped engineered plans including a structural analysis, per the city’s solar checklist. Ground-mounted systems that are a lot’s main use also need zoning approval. Then Toledo Edison approves the connection.
Can I choose my electricity supplier in Toledo?
Yes. Toledo Edison delivers the power and handles outages, but you can buy the supply part from it or a PUCO-certified supplier; about 72% of its home customers did in 2024 (EIA). If you have solar, ask a supplier how it credits exports before switching.
How much does home EV charging cost in Toledo?
By our estimate, about $5 per 100 miles at Toledo Edison’s 2024 average of 16.6¢ per kWh, assuming about 30 kWh per 100 miles. Your actual cost depends on your supplier’s price and your car; try your own numbers in our EV charging cost calculator.
Sources
Utilities, prices, outages and solar counts: U.S. Energy Information Administration, EIA-861 data for 2024. FirstEnergy Ohio interconnection FAQ, net metering primer and customer choice page; City of Toledo Division of Building Inspection page and solar PV permitting checklist; all read October 3, 2026. Sun: NASA POWER, 2001 to 2020. Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025. Charging: Alternative Fuels Data Center, October 3, 2026. Generator safety: CPSC.