PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvanians with overdue utility bills are being encouraged to find out about different resources available to help them make their payments. But officials say people need to act fast because some of those resources are coming to an end soon.
Nils Hagen-Frederiksen with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission said not enough people are taking advantage of programs aimed at helping those struggling to make it through the pandemic.
“Their utility does not have all the details on their particular situation, unless that conversation begins,” he said.
Utility companies can connect customers with a payment service that's the right fit for them, he said, and there are many different assistance programs and safeguards put in place as a response to the pandemic. However, some of them are ending soon.
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Hagen-Frederiksen said people should not be shy about raising their hand and asking for help.
“Because a lot of the customer assistance programs that are out there are not only aimed at lowering payments to make things more affordable, but dealing with past due balances,” he explained.
He added if you are having trouble getting information about the programs from your utility provider, you can always call the commission at 1-800-692-7380.