PECO today joined Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis and community partners in announcing that $10 million in bill assistance will be made available to help income eligible customers manage the burden of rising summer energy costs. The PECO Customer Relief Fund, supported by Exelon, PECO’s parent company, will provide one-time grants of $500 for qualifying limited- and moderate-income customers. The fund will be administered by United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey.

“PECO has deep roots in our community and we’re proud to do our part during this challenging time as local families struggle with overall inflation pressures, including energy bills,” said David Vahos, PECO President and CEO. “PECO provides a critical service that keeps our communities safe, healthy and strong. The PECO Customer Relief Fund allows us to provide immediate relief for customers struggling with high energy supply costs while continuing to work with state and local officials on forward-looking solutions.”

“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,” said Austin Davis, Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. “No Pennsylvanian should have to choose between keeping the lights on or paying for their prescriptions or groceries. That’s why today’s announcement is so important.”

Beginning August 4, PECO customers will be able to apply for assistance through United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. Customers can learn more at peco.com/Relief.

“At United Way, our mission is to fight poverty and expand opportunity for every person in every community we serve,” said Bill Golderer, President and CEO of United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey. “The PECO Customer Relief Fund will provide vital support to families who are working hard but still struggling to make ends meet. We are proud to partner with PECO to deliver meaningful, immediate relief—and to continue our work together toward long-term solutions that lift more families out of poverty.”

PECO announced the fund at PA CareerLink Montgomery County, where representatives provide career counseling, job search assistance, workshops, training programs, support services, and guidance on unemployment compensation.

How the PECO Customer Relief Fund Will Work

PECO and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey are working closely to provide limited- and moderate-income PECO customers with meaningful relief in the coming months, as customers will likely see an increase in their energy bills driven by warmer weather and increasing energy supply costs as energy demands rise and supply is not there to meet it.

To be eligible for the funds, residential customers must be in arrears, and their household income fall between 151% and 300% of the Federal Poverty Level, which would enable a family of four making between $48,547 and $96,450 per year to qualify. If eligible, customers will see relief from high energy bills in the form of a one-time credit on their PECO bill once their application is approved and processed.

A New Source for Relief

The PECO Customer Relief Fund is a one-time program in addition to PECO’s existing efforts to make energy affordable and to help customers manage their bills, including:

• LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, Customer Assistance Program (CAP), and the Matching Energy Assistance Fund (MEAF).
• Customizable customer tools and resources to manage their energy more efficiently through My Account.
• Energy assistance finder tools available that can connect our customers with other potential financial assistance options, bill management options and even energy-efficiency programs that can help reduce overall usage amounts and serve to lower energy cost. 

The PECO Customer Relief Fund can help those customers who may not qualify for existing programs, but who still need assistance during challenging periods. In 2024, PECO connected 140,000 customers with energy assistance programs, which provided over $170 million in support. To find out about PECO’s comprehensive set of energy assistance and bill support programs, customers can visit peco.com/BillSupport.