April 25 (Reuters) - Utility firm FirstEnergy missed first-quarter profit estimates on Thursday on account of unfavorable weather and higher interest expense.

Milder-than-usual winter in the areas where FirstEnergy operates dragged down customers' need for electricity to keep themselves warm during the colder months.

"While heating degree days were 5% higher than the historically mild first quarter of 2023, they remained 14% below normal," the company said in a statement.

Interest expense was up about 16% at $305 million in the quarter.

The company reported adjusted profit of 55 cents per share for the quarter ended March 31, compared with analysts' average estimate of 56 cents per share, according to LSEG data.

It reported quarterly revenue of $3.3 billion, a 1.7% rise from the year earlier.

FirstEnergy provides electricity to more than six million customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland, New Jersey and New York.

The Akron, Ohio-based firm expects second-quarter earnings to be between 50 cents and 60 cents per share, above analysts' average estimate of 54 cents per share at midpoint. (Reporting by Tanay Dhumal in Bengaluru; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar)