PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — If the prices at the pump don’t raise your eyebrows, perhaps the rising cost of utilities will.
Homeowners and renters alike may be experiencing a bit of whiplash from looking at their latest utility bills, but help is available.
Just about anyone you talk to about their latest utility bills will tell you that prices are climbing.
January was a cold one, averaging about a degree colder than last year, which equals to about a 5% increase in demand.
Rate payers must deal with the eye-popping bills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the price of electricity in Pennsylvania is up about 9%, and the price of natural gas is up 20%.
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Steve Luxton, CEO of Philadelphia’s Energy Coordinating Agency, said about 80% of Philadelphians heat with natural gas. The majority of the remaining use oil. Those prices are directly impacted by the conflict in Ukraine.
“They are feeling it, because those are the fuels that are severely affected by all this craziness that’s going on, just as we see with gasoline prices," said Luxton.
ECA Community Programs Director Lorraine Horton says anyone who needs help should the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
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"That will definitely give them some money to work with to be able to get oil from their oil companies," Horton said. "Also, a lot of our energy centers have free oil.”
Attorney General Josh Shapiro and Acting Consumer Advocate Patrick Cicero have called for an extension of the annual LIHEAP Crisis Season until August 31. It’s currently scheduled to close for the year on May 6.
Thomas Flaherty with ECA said other programs are also available.
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“PECO’s Customer Assistance Program, PGW Customer Responsibility Program," said Flaherty.
"Both of those, if you’re eligible, are percentage-of-income-based payment programs where the price of fuel isn't going to hit you once you're on those programs.”
ECA has 16 neighborhood energy centers that can help with all the resources available to make it easier on struggling homes.
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