LOCAL

Past-due utility bills got you down? You may be able to make them go away and keep service

Amber South
Chambersburg Public Opinion

The dog days of summer are not a good time to go without electricity.

Thousands of low-income residents across Pennsylvania are at risk of losing their power, gas, water, sewer or other utilities as providers continue cutting service to customers who had fallen behind on their bills during the pandemic.

For months, it was no big deal; although customers would still have to pay their balance eventually. The Public Utility Commission had suspended utility shutoffs as a way to protect people who lost income as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

But for the majority of people affected in the "protected class" -- those making less than 300% of the federal poverty guidelines -- that changed when commissioners voted earlier this year to end the moratorium on April 1. Shutoffs began back in November for higher earners. 

For a household of four people, 300% of the poverty line is $79,500 this year. 

Now, thousands of customers need to pay their past-due balances in order to keep their utilities running. Looking at electricity, more than 100,000 First Energy customers in Pennsylvania were “significantly behind” on their bills when shutoff notices started going out, according to Todd Meyers, a communications representative.

"Some customers didn’t pay a bill for the better part of a year or more,” he said.

If you owe money to your utility companies, there are ways to make it less overwhelming.

When will my service be shut off? 

By law, utility companies cannot cut your service without notifying you ahead of time.

You should receive a written notice at least 10 days before the shutoff date. After that, companies are required to contact you or another adult in the household three days before service is to be terminated and again immediately before, according to Pennsylvania Legal Aid Network.

Make no mistake; even if you haven’t heard a thing about your past-due account and your home is still humming with electricity or your water is still running or your gas stove is still cooking, don’t think you’ve been overlooked.

“Rest assured, if you have a past-due balance your number will come up here,” Meyers said.

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What if I can't afford my past-due bill?

First off, it may help to know you are not alone. More than a million Pennsylvanians were at risk of terminations when the moratorium ended in the spring.

Across First Energy – which provides power to parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio and New Jersey – past-due bills reached into the tens of millions of dollars, Meyers said.

If you need help paying your utility bill, pick up the phone and let the company know. 

"We don't know what your situation is unless you call and tell us," Meyers said. 

A customer service representative can at least set you up on a repayment plan, in which the amount you owe is broken down into chunks that are tacked on to your monthly bills going forward. For the protected class making less than 300% of poverty guidelines, repayments can be set up over five years; it can go for one year for everyone else. 

Customer service representatives can also check to see if you qualify for programs that will lower or even erase your debt. At First Energy, customer service representatives can get customers signed up with the right program for them on the same phone call, Meyers said. 

What programs can help me pay?

Acceptance into most programs is based on need and availability of funds. 

The Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program offers various ways to help customers whose gross household income is no more than 150% of the federal poverty guideline. Those who qualify may receive credits to lower their monthly bill and/or an opportunity to have their balance forgiven. 

The customer service assistance program also requires participation in the Low Income Energy Reduction Program, which is also known as WARM. People can also join this program separately. Aimed at lowering energy bills through energy reduction, it begins with an in-home evaluation that determines whether energy-saving items such as weather stripping and light bulbs should be installed - at no charge. 

These programs are administered by the Dollar Energy Fund, which in itself provides up to $500 to help eligible customers in this region restore or maintain their power and gas service. 

To learn more about the Dollar Energy Fund and the programs within it, go to dollarenergy.org or call 888-282-6816.

The sign-up period is over now, but customers who need help paying utility bills next year can also consider the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. The federally funded grant program provides up to $800 to residents who are behind on their electric bills and/or need help with paying to heat their house in the winter. For more information, call LIHEAP at 877-395-8930 or visit www.compass.state.pa.us.

While utility companies can connect customers to the programs above, there is a new program that people must sign up for themselves. 

Created earlier this year, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program serves as a funnel for the state to divvy out $549 million in federal funding to help renters who lost income directly or indirectly due to the pandemic to pay for their housing and utilities. To qualify, a household must make no more than 80% of the median income for their county – that’s roughly $65,000 in southcentral Pennsylvania for a family of four, give or take a few thousand.

The South Central Community Action Programs administers ERAP in Franklin and Adams counties. Nearly $460,000 has been distributed in both counties for utility payments since early March through the end of June, according to CEO Megan Shreve. Most of the program’s funding has been going toward rent, with more than $2.15 million distributed in Franklin County and about $1.1 million distributed in Adams County.

ERAP will cover up to a year of past-due bills and up to three months of upcoming bills.

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On average, a recipient receives about $4,500, Shreve said. To compare, the renter assistance program that SCCAP normally runs typically provides about $1,000 to qualified families.

“(ERAP has been) a huge economic development benefit to the county,” Shreve said. The program came at a good time, she said, because even though COVID-19 cases have been subsiding and the world has largely reopened, people who have recently returned to work often still have debts they racked up over the past year-plus.

Get more information about ERAP at dhs.pa.gov/ERAP or at sccap.org/relief

Keep in mind these programs may not last long. 

“There (are) dollars out there,” Meyers said. “But they can become exhausted. There’s only a finite amount out there.”

What if service is cut before I pay?

You can still set up a repayment plan or work with one of the programs to get your bill paid, in order to get your service restored.

If you are in the protected class, you are exempt from paying a reconnection fee. The PUC also requires utility companies to waive late fees, security deposits and fees for new connections for these customers.  

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.