Howard to host virtual Town Hall with PECO Monday, Aug. 24

MALVERN, Aug. 20 – State Rep. Kristine Howard, D-Chester, will host a virtual Town Hall at 3 p.m. Monday, Aug. 24 to discuss PECO and its services with a representative from the company. Weather-related outages and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Recovery Crisis program will be discussed.

“At a time when the pandemic has made people’s ability to pay their bills difficult, I wanted to have a forum where residents could learn how to reduce their utility costs,” Howard said. “In addition to our discussion on the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis program, which ends on August 31, we will also be talking about how PECO is working to improve their treatment of weather-related outages.”

LIHEAP helps families living on low incomes pay home energy bills and typically runs November through April. But the LIHEAP Recovery Crisis program runs through Aug. 31 and offers a crisis benefit made directly to utility companies or fuel providers to help offset costs for home utilities.

Benefits may be available if a household:

•         Has their main or secondary energy source completely shut-off.

•         Is notified that their utility service will be shut off in the next 60 days.

•         Has broken energy equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced.

•         Is in danger of being without fuel in 15 days or less.

•         Owes funds to a utility provider that would constitute a service termination if not for the Public Utility Commission’s moratorium on terminations.

The event will be livestreamed at www.PaHouse.com/Howard.

Questions can be submitted to RepHoward@pahouse.net ahead of the event or during it. Answers to those questions will be shared during the Town Hall.