PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) -- As winter begins, Pennsylvanians who are having problems paying their utility bills can get help. People who have lost their jobs because of the coronavirus pandemic also fall into that category. The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission is trying to make it as easy as possible.
PUC Chair Gladys Brown Dutrieuille says every effort is being made to give residents options for how to maintain their utility service, especially if they are out of work or sick.
"And those include the PUC's enhanced protections for residential customers and small businesses. They also include the traditional winter shut-off moratorium to income-qualified households, other assistance options like the utility payment plans to address past-due balances, budget billing to help large month-to-months swings in the size of bills."
Dutrieuille also says LIHEAP, the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, helps families pay their utilities with a cash grant. She says last year, utilities spent $391 million on PUC required customer assistance programs, not including LIHEAP.
"Collectively these utility programs reach over 290,000 electric customers and 160,000 natural gas customers," she said.
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She says for customers needing help, the first step is to contact the utility company immediately to work out a plan. Above all, Dutrieuille says: Don't wait for the past-due notice to arrive before taking action.
"Getting connected to these programs may be just a phone call away," she said.
Dutrieuille says also many utility companies are reaching out voluntarily to help their customers who may be facing shutoffs. She says experts are available to tailor assistance to each family’s needs.