Energy Assistance Programs

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Budget Billing

All residential customers may contact their electric or natural gas company and request budget billing at any time. Each monthly bill will be the same amount. The company may adjust the bill four times a year, up or down, depending on the customer's usage.

Customer Assistance Program (CAP)

CAPs can lower your monthly utility bill. CAPs may also remove the amount you already owe. The different CAP names are shown beside the company names below. The company works with the customer to determine what the customer can pay verses the cost of energy used.

Customer Assistance Referral and Evaluation Program (CARES)

The CARES program helps customers with special needs. CARES may help you find ways to pay your utility bill. For example, special needs are customers who are experiencing family emergencies, divorce, unemployment, or medical emergencies. The goal is to provide support and direction to help customers pay their utility bills.

Low-Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP)

LIURP helps low-income residential customers lower the amount of electricity or natural gas used each month. Typically, the company may install energy saving features in your home to help reduce bills. For example, smaller bills means your payment covers a greater portion of the bill, or perhaps covers the whole bill.

Hardship Funds

Utility company hardship funds provide cash assistance to utility customers to help them pay their utility bills. Hardship funds provide assistance grants to customers who "fall through the cracks" of other financial assistance programs, or to those who still have a critical need for assistance after the other resources have been exhausted. The funds make payments directly to companies on behalf of eligible customers.

Assistance Qualifications

Customers must meet certain income limits and be payment-troubled to qualify for CAP, CARES, LIURP and Hardship Funds. Payment-troubled usually means customers have made a payment agreement with the company. The chart below shows the income levels customers must meet for CAP. The income levels are slightly higher for LIURP, CARES and Hardship Funds. Customers who meet these limits, should call their local electric or natural gas company for details to see if you qualify. Each company's toll-free number is listed below.

Household Size Monthly Income

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

LIHEAP is the federal program that provides financial assistance to needy households for home energy bills. In Pennsylvania, the Department of Public Welfare (DPW) administers the LIHEAP program. The LIHEAP program provides both cash and crisis benefits to low-income households. Cash benefits help low-income customers pay for their home energy needs while crisis payments help meet emergency home energy situations.

Your household income must be within certain limits to qualify. These limits are listed on DPW's website at Energy Assistance - General Information.

LIHEAP Application Form

For more information on LIHEAP, visit the Department of Public Welfare's website at http://www.dpw.state.pa.us/ServicesPrograms/LIHEAP/.

Telephone Numbers to Call

LIHEAP & Utility Assistance Programs - Electric & Gas

Utility Assistance Programs - Water

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