Need Help with Energy Bills? Met-Ed Lists Resources

GREENSBURG PA – Residential customers of Greensburg-based Metropolitan Edison (Met-Ed), which serves more than 580,000 electricity consumers across eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania, are being encouraged to contact the utility company if they’re facing difficulty in paying their power bills.

Med-Ed suggests those with financial challenges may qualify for payment assistance programs or other options.

“The pandemic and ongoing economic uncertainty” is presenting hardships for many customers, according to Scott Wyman, president of Pennsylvania operations for Met-Ed’s corporate parent, FirstEnergy.

Recent exceedingly cold temperatures experienced in Montgomery, Berks and Chester counties may have caused customers there and elsewhere to fall behind on their bills, Wyman acknowledged. He suggested they contact Met-Ed “as soon as possible, so that a member of our team can review their options with them.”

Among available assistance programs are the:

• Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program. It helps residential customers maintain electric service through debt forgiveness and percentage of income payment plans. This program is administered through the Dollar Energy Fund. Call toll-free to 1-800-282-6816 or go online;
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Administered by state Department of Human Services, it can provide payment directly to utility companies to help with heating bills or to help maintain or restore service. Call toll-free to 1-866-857-7095 or go online;
• Dollar Energy Fund. This is an emergency hardship fund designed to help customers who have suffered a recent financial hardship. It can provide payment directly to utility companies to help maintain or restore service. Call toll-free 1-800-683-7036 or go online;
• 2-1-1 Helpline. It’s a nationwide resource and information helpline that identifies locally available programs to assist customers with utility bills or other needs. Call 2-1-1, text your ZIP code to 898211, or go online;
• Emergency Rental Assistance Program. It provides assistance to households that have experienced financial hardship and may be at risk for homelessness due to or during the pandemic. The program offers tenant households potential assistance with rental and utility costs. Go online; and
• Pennsylvania Homeowner Assistance Fund. It provides financial assistance to Pennsylvania homeowners who are facing financial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It also offers financial assistance to homeowners for qualified mortgage and housing-related expenses to address delinquency and avoid default, foreclosure or displacement. Go online.

Find a complete list of assistance programs for which customers may be eligible, including installment payment plans and budget billing, online at the FirstEnergy website, or call Met-Ed toll-free at 1-800-545-7741.

Photo by Kelly Sikkema on Unsplash, used under license