How to get help paying your electric bill in Pennsylvania

Your summer shutoff protection in Pennsylvania

A physician-signed medical certificate stops or reverses a shutoff for up to 30 days and is renewable — and unlike LIHEAP, it works in summer.

Assistance programs in Pennsylvania

• Every PA utility runs a CAP (Customer Assistance Program) — a reduced, income-based monthly bill that you stay on year-round. This is the workhorse in PA, not LIHEAP.
• CAP usually comes with arrearage forgiveness: stay current and your old past-due balance gets chipped away or wiped.

Your utility's own programs

Which help you get depends on who your electric company is, not just your state. Find yours below — these programs are often the biggest, most durable relief, because they lower the bill going forward, not just once.

• Duquesne Light — Customer Assistance Program → · 1-888-393-7600

• PECO — CAP & CAP-PIPP → · 1-800-774-7040

• PPL Electric — OnTrack & Operation HELP → · 1-800-342-5775

Step by step, when a shutoff is looming

1. 1

   Read your notice for the real deadline

   Find the shutoff date and the exact amount needed to avoid termination — it's often less than your full balance.

2. 2

   Call your utility before that date

   Even with no money in hand. Ask for a payment plan and whether enrolling in assistance or a payment plan pauses the shutoff.

3. 3

   Apply for assistance

   Apply for LIHEAP (1-866-857-7095) and ask your utility about its own program. A pending application can hold off a disconnection.

4. 4

   Use a medical certificate if anyone is vulnerable

   A physician-signed medical certificate stops or reverses a shutoff for up to 30 days and is renewable — and unlike LIHEAP, it works in summer.

5. 5

   Escalate if the rules are broken

   If your utility won't follow the rules, contact PA PUC at 1-800-692-7380.

If the main programs are tapped out

When government funds run dry or you're just over the income line, these are the backstops:

• PA 211 → · 211
• Dollar Energy Fund → · 1-888-282-6816

One warning, because this audience gets targeted: your real utility will never demand a gift card, and a genuine shutoff never happens in the next hour over the phone. If someone says that, it's a scam — hang up and call the number printed on your bill. More on utility scams →

The honest read on Pennsylvania

• PA is one of the cleaner states to get help in — the catch is timing. With LIHEAP shut for the summer, the live levers are your utility's CAP, the medical certificate, and a Dollar Energy grant.
• Don't wait for the actual shutoff date. Calling before it — even with no money in hand — is what gets you onto a payment plan or CAP and freezes the clock.

Common questions

Can my electricity be shut off in summer in Pennsylvania?

Pennsylvania has no summer or heat-based shutoff ban, so yes — your power can legally be disconnected for nonpayment during a heat wave. A physician-signed medical certificate stops or reverses a shutoff for up to 30 days and is renewable — and unlike LIHEAP, it works in summer. That medical certificate is your strongest summer protection, alongside enrolling in an assistance program (an application itself can pause a shutoff).

What's the fastest way to stop a shutoff in Pennsylvania this week?

Get a medical certificate from any doctor, nurse, or clinic and give it to your utility today — it buys 30 days. Then enroll in your utility's CAP, which lowers the bill going forward.

How do I apply for help paying my electric bill in Pennsylvania?

Start with LIHEAP, run by PA Department of Human Services. Closed for the season and heating-only — there is no summer/cooling LIHEAP in PA. The 2025–26 season ran Dec 3–May 8; it reopens in late fall. You can apply online or by phone (1-866-857-7095). Also ask your own utility about its assistance program — that's often the bigger, longer-term help.

Does applying for assistance stop a disconnection in Pennsylvania?

Often, yes. In many cases, having a pending assistance application or an accepted payment plan postpones a shutoff — you don't always have to wait for the money to land. Say so explicitly when you call your utility, and get a confirmation number.