FirstEnergy Corp. customers irate over recent electricity rate hikes not only are complaining to the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio about the company, but also are targeting the utility regulator itself.

A customer e-mail campaign is under way to get the Ohio Inspector General involved, as a way to keep the heat turned up on the PUCO as well as the power company.

"Our next action item/front of attack is to send a flurry of complaints to the Ohio Inspector General's Office calling for an investigation of the PUCO," said Kirtland resident Sue Steigerwald in the e-mail sent to like-minded customers.

"The Inspector General's Office reports directly to Gov. (Ted) Strickland. While complaints to the Ohio Inspector General's Office usually involve criminal activity investigations of public agencies and officials, we feel it is worth a shot to do this, and Mr. (State Sen. Tim) Grendell agrees."

In fact, Grendell, R-Chester Township, said he is calling for the retirement/resignation of PUCO Chairman Alan R. Schriber.

He provided a copy of the request letter -- addressed to Strickland -- that he said he intends to deliver today.

The letter says more than 1,000 constituents have contacted the senator in recent months, in protest against the electricity rate changes approved by the PUCO in 2006 and 2009. Grendell alleges that the PUCO failed to anticipate the severity of the changes -- affecting electric generation prices and distribution rates -- and hasn't served "Ohioans in a respectful and appropriate manner."

Earlier this month, Grendell filed a class-action lawsuit against FirstEnergy, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Co. and Ohio Edison Co. in Geauga County Common Pleas Court for dropping a discount for all-electric homes, electric hot water heating systems and electric load management systems. The suit requests more than $50 million for breach of contract, fraudulent inducement and injunctive relief.

There are at least 100,000 all-electric FirstEnergy customers affected by the loss of a reduced rate and about 2.1 million total customers in Ohio, all of whom received an increase in distribution costs. Some customers have complained of bills that have jumped 50 percent to 60 percent or more from last winter.

On Feb. 12, FirstEnergy filed proposed rate changes with the PUCO that seek to increase the all-electric discounts to qualifying customers. The new rate, designed to transition all customers to standard residential rates, would include an additional discount in the winter months and would gradually be phased out over the next eight years. The proposal was still pending as of Thursday.