UTILITY SHUTOFFS COMING SOON!!

Utility shutoffs are starting again in Philly. Here’s what to do if you’re behind on your bills.

Nick Vadala, Philadelphia Inquirer

If you’re behind on your utility bills, you could soon face a shutoff. Starting Nov. 9, Pennsylvania utilities are allowed to cut off nonpaying customers, ending a moratorium from the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

But don’t panic, you may be protected.
Service terminations, the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission voted last month, can resume for PUC-regulated utilities PECO and PGW, says Joline Price, a staff attorney with Community Legal Services of Philadelphia’s energy unit. (The Philadelphia Water Department, which is not regulated by the PUC, is not allowed to shut off customers until April 1, 2021.) But if you’re low-income or financially struggling, you may be a “protected customer,” and be able to avoid a shutoff. It’s not automatic, however. You’ll need to be proactive and show that you should be protected, says Price.

So what do you need to do to avoid a shutoff? Click here to know what you need.

The Pennsylvania ban on utility shutoffs was recently updated, meaning some utility customers may start getting shutoff notices. However, many low-income customers should be protected from utility shutoff as long as they follow certain steps.

Click here to view the steps to follow.

Click here for more information about LIHEAP and to apply online click here.

PGW CONNECTS CUSTOMERS TO PAYMENT ASSISTANCE AS MORATORIUM ENDS

Beginning next week, Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) will contact nearly 50,000 customers who are behind on their natural gas bills to connect them with PGW’s payment assistance programs, to make payment arrangements, or notify PGW of your household income to determine if you are eligible for protection from further action.
With the Pennsylvania Public Utilities Commission lifting its service termination moratorium on Nov. 9, the Commission required utilities to notify customers who may be at risk of termination for non-payment of available programs. PGW urges customers facing financial challenges to contact PGW immediately at 215-235-1000, Monday-Friday, between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. to explore their options for maintaining service.
Among the payment assistance programs for customers is PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program (CRP), which was recently modified to further reduce monthly bill amounts for low-income customers enrolled in the program. CRP helps low-income households better afford their bills and receive forgiveness of past debt. Based on household income, customers enrolled in CRP could pay as little as 4 percent of their monthly income on their PGW bill.

More here.