The bottom line on budget billing
As part of our ongoing You Ask, We Answer campaign, we’re answering questions we frequently receive from customers. Here’s a question about budget billing, one of the billing options we provide for customers’ convenience.
I’m signed up for budget billing and my budget amount changed. Why?
Budget billing is a service that eliminates seasonal ups and downs in your bill by charging you a fixed monthly cost, based on your 12-month average of energy use. (You can find out more about it here.)
Your budget amount is reviewed every three months, and may go up or down based on the difference between your actual usage and the amount you’ve paid. We review budget billing accounts every three months to reduce the impact of those changes as much as possible.
Major changes in energy use at your home – such as the installation of a new appliance, or another person moving in or out — will eventually be reflected in your budget amount.
Price changes on the part of your energy supplier can also affect your bill.
To see prior You Ask, We Answer posts, click here.
How do I get on budget billing and it it done only for low income people? Thanks, Donna
Donna: Budget billing is available to customers at all income levels.
To find out more details before you sign up, go to
https://www.pplelectric.com/my-account/billing-and-payments.aspx
and click on the Budget Billing icon.
There is no budget billing icon.
Since we published that comment, we’ve redesigned our website. Info on budget billing is now available at: https://www.pplelectric.com/my-account/billing/budget-billing.aspx
Full terms are visible once you log in.
is there a fee for the budget billing service. whats the catch…
No fee, no catch.
You should be aware, though, that your budget amount is reviewed every three months and may go up or down based on your actual energy use. So the bill amount you’re assigned when you first sign up won’t stay exactly the same forever: It will change based on your actual usage. (If your usage doesn’t change drastically, your bill amount shouldn’t, either.)
This isn’t true. I have been seeing on my bill a fee for 37.95. It says budget installment settlement amount. What is this
Kimberly, please call us at 1-800-342-5775 to review your account with a representative. We are happy to explain the charges on your bill. Thank you!
im curious on how this works. a friend of my was on the budget plan and paid there bill monthly. at years end they were handed a bill of 7000 dollars which no one i know can pay. how does this happen
Jason: If your friend hasn’t called us, please have them call PPL at 1-800-342-5775 (assuming they are a PPL customer; if they are enrolled in budget billing with another utility, they should contact their utility.) At PPL, budget billing amounts are reviewed every three months, specifically so changes can be gradual and easier to handle.
will I know the amount that will be billed monthly before I sign up?
Britt: Yes, you will be told the monthly amount before you sign up.
If I’m over paying while on the budget billing, do I get the overdue amount credited back to me or what. Since the beginning of the year I’ve overpaid $101.00. I’m happy when I see the bill lower every month. But if I can save money every month of variable use, then I’ll just do that.
Jefferson: The budget settles every 12 months, so if you still had a credit balance at that time, it would be applied to your bill. We also pay interest on that money held.
I have chosen a different supplier, does the amount shown as what your budget billing would be include both the “distribution charges” and the “generation and transmission fees,” (i.e. the total charges) or is it just for the portion that PPL is currently being paid (on my account), the distribution charges?