PECO to offer $500 grants to qualifying customers to help pay overdue bills; how to apply

How you can get relief from your air conditioning bill

There is no question your air conditioning unit is working on overtime this week and not for the first time this summer. But PECO is looking out for certain customers who don?t usually qualify for its assistance programs.

NORRISTOWN, Pa. - In the sizzle of Philadelphia’s fifth heat wave, your air conditioner is running high, which means your electric bill will possibly be sky-high. But, PECO has a program to help out certain customers who qualify.

What we know:

There’s no doubt that your air conditioning unit is working extra hard this week, and it’s not the first time this summer.

Ashley Sweeny of Norristown, PA, says her system can barely keep up with the heat that’s coming in, and it’s caused some sticker shock.

"The summer started out fine, normal electric bills, and then all of the sudden, with July coming to a close, we get our first bill and it’s somehow $900," she says. "The cost of living is going up, but what we’re making an hour in our jobs out here is staying the same, so something's gotta’ give here, bills are going up. I want them to go down."

By the numbers:

That very struggle is why PECO announced a $10 million Customer Relief Fund on Wednesday, donated from Excelon, PECO’s parent company.

Starting Monday, on a first come, first serve basis, Southeastern Pennsylvania customers can apply for a one-time $500 credit to knock down overdue bills. It will be administered by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

To qualify, a household cannot have a more than $2,000 past-due bill, unless the grant would bring it down to $2,000 or below. The grant is for limited and middle-income customers, outlined in a chart on their website, which you can find here. 

Big picture view:

"The customer relief fund targets those who are far too often fall between the cracks--hardworking families who make too much to qualify for assistance, but not quite enough to be financially secure," says Lt. Governor Austin Davis.

What you can do:

Find out how to qualify on PECO's website, here.