READING – FirstEnergy utilities, including Pennsylvania Electric Co. (Penelec), remind customers having difficulty paying their utility bills that they may be eligible for special financial assistance or other programs that could reduce the amount of electricity they use.
Assistance programs available to Pennsylvania residents include:
- Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program (PCAP) – PCAP helps residential customers maintain electric service and eliminate their past-due balance by offering a reduced bill based on a percentage of income and debt forgiveness. Debt forgiveness credits are applied directly to participants’ electric service accounts in recognition of payments that are made on time and paid in-full. PCAP participants also are automatically enrolled in the Equal Payment Plan (EPP) that provides the ability to make consistent monthly payments. Enrollment in the EPP is a requirement for PCAP. For more information, call 888-282-6816.
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)– LIHEAP, a federally-funded grant program administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through its network of local county assistance offices, provides customers help with paying winter heating bills and occasionally summer cooling bills. LIHEAP funds may be used to pay an electric bill even if electricity is not the main source of heat. Call 866-857-7095 for information.
- Dollar Energy Fund – The Dollar Energy Fund is an emergency hardship fund designed to help residential customers who have suffered a recent financial hardship and need temporary help to pay their electric bill. This program is funded, in part, by FirstEnergy employees, shareholders and customers. The distribution of funds is administered by Dollar Energy Fund in conjunction with community-based organizations throughout our Pennsylvania service territories. For more information, call 888-282-6816 or visit dollarenergy.org.
- WARM Program –Low Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP) – The WARM Program can help low-income customers reduce their electric bills and keep their homes more comfortable in the winter and summer months. It is available to homeowners and renters with landlord approval. Customers participating in WARM:
- Receive an in-home energy evaluation
- Work with a trained energy educator to create an energy-savings plan
- Have the opportunity to receive the following energy-saving items installed in the home:
- Caulking and weather-stripping
- Refrigerator/freezer testing and possible replacement
- Electric water heater inspection
- Energy-saving light bulbs
The specific improvements that a customer is eligible to receive will be determined during the home energy evaluation. No payment is required for these installations/services. There are household income requirements and electricity use requirements. To determine eligibility, call 1-800-207-9276.
Residential customers of FirstEnergy’s Pennsylvania utilities who are interested in finding a more convenient way to manage their electricity bills also can sign up to extend their bill due date or for an extended payment program.
To learn more, call -800-545-7741 (Met-Ed and Penelec customers); 800-686-0021 (West Penn Power customers); or 800-720-3600 (Penn Power customers).
Penelec serves approximately 590,000 customers in 31 Pennsylvania counties. Follow Penelec on Twitter @Penelec and on Facebook.
FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation’s largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York.
The company’s transmission subsidiaries operate more than 24,000 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Follow FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com. Follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.