PECO has expanded a program that helps customers who are trying catch up on overdue energy bills.
Grants offered through PECO's $10 million Customer Relief Fund have increased from $500 to $750, and eligibility for the program has broadened, too. Customers who previously received $500 grants automatically will receive another $250 credit.
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Households are eligible if they have overdue bills of up to $2,500 and an annual income level between 151% and 300% of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that ranges from $48,547 to $96,450. The program previously limited grants to customers with overdue balances of $500 or less.
Customers who currently owe more than $2,500 can apply for the grants if they are able to bring their balance down to no more than $2,500.
Applications are open until Dec. 31, or until funds are exhausted. Customers who are approved will receive $750 credits listed in their energy bills.
The grant program is intended to help customers combat rising energy costs. PECO has funded it with the help of Exelon and the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. The program was announced in July.
"We've expanded the PECO Customer Relief Fund to provide greater support because we know energy supply costs continue to impact household budgets," PECO President and CEO David Vahos said in a statement. "This enhanced assistance provides relief while we work alongside state and local officials to address the broader challenges driving energy affordability."
Additional relief programs are available for low-to-moderate income households, but Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis said over the summer that this program attempts to cast a wider net.
"The PECO Customer Relief Fund targets those who far too often fall between the cracks — hard-working families who make too much to qualify for assistance, but not enough to be financially secure," he said.
Electricity suppliers in Pennsylvania raised their rates in June. PECO hiked rates by 12.6%, which increased the average customer's monthly bill by $8.
The driving factor behind increased energy bills is growing demand on the electricity grid — particularly by data centers.
PJM Interconnection, the regional transmission organization that covers Pennsylvania and 12 others states, has drawn criticism for its role in increased energy costs and sluggish shifts to renewable energy sources. It set a record price cap at its annual capacity auction in 2024. Gov. Josh Shapiro filed a complaint with the Federal Energy Regulatory Committee, leading to a settlement that prevented another price hike at PJM's capacity auction in July.
In September, Shapiro threatened to remove Pennsylvania from PJM if it does not address its rising costs.
"I won't stand for a status quo that perpetuates slowdowns and rising costs," Shapiro said at the Summit on the State of PJM Interconnection in Philadelphia. "… If we need to chart a new course that delivers more for the good people of Pennsylvania – we will."