Jan 29, 2025 | Bill Help
We understand each household across our territory is unique. That’s why we offer a range of options to help manage your bill and make it as affordable as possible, regardless of your income.
We have options for all customers, whether you own or rent your home and whether you have a past due balance or not. We also have assistance programs for income eligible customers. These options may include free grants to help pay your bill.
It’s easy to apply. Sign into your online account at pplelectric.com and click “Get help paying.” Answer a few questions about your household income and we’ll match you with a program that will benefit you most.
Check out all the options that may be available for your family.
Options for all customers:
Payment arrangements: Get help paying a past-due balance over time.
Budget billing: We’ll take the average of your last 12 months of electric use to make your monthly payments more predictable.
Due date extension: If you’re current with your bill but need a little extra time to pay, apply for an extension.
Due date changes: If your balance is paid in full, you can select a due date that fits your pay schedule or budget.
Options for income-eligible customers:
OnTrack: Get a fixed monthly payment based on your income. You may qualify for debt forgiveness, too.
Operation HELP: Grants for homeowners and renters to help pay your electric bill.
WRAP: Free energy-saving products and services to help reduce your electric use.
LIHEAP: Grants up to $2,000 to help pay your winter heating bills or prevent a shut-off.
To learn more about our programs and apply, visit pplelectric.com/BillHelp.
Nov 12, 2024 | Community Involvement
Powering our communities goes beyond delivering the safe and reliable electricity you depend on every day. We don’t just work in our communities; we also live and raise our families in cities and towns across our territory.
Here are just a handful of events that helped our communities throughout the year:
We started 2024 in the Lehigh Valley by reading to children at Brigadier General Anna Mae Hays Elementary School for Read Across America and Black History Month events, fostering the importance of education for our local children.
During Earth Month, our employees planted trees in Harrisburg, Bethlehem and across Lycoming County to help preserve the environment.
In June, more than 60 of our interns participated in our annual Intern Impact Day by cleaning classrooms and assembling bikes for young riders in Allentown.
To help charge an exciting future for students, we helped the Steelton-Highspire and Bethlehem Area school districts roll out their first EV buses.
But our favorite event of the year was our Annual Day of Caring in September. More than 460 of our employees assisted 20 nonprofit organizations and sites by cleaning, painting, packing food and planting trees.
We know how important it is to give back. And while we’re happy to have made a positive impact in 2024, we’re looking forward to doing even more in 2025.
For more about our community involvement, see how we’re working behind the scenes to power the moments that matter this holiday season: pplelectric.com/HappyHolidays.
Oct 10, 2024 | Customer Service
Customer Service Week is a time to recognize the heart of our customer experience— our Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) and Associates (CSAs).
So far this year, we have received over 7.4 million customer interactions across various channels. Of these interactions, 1,183,980 were calls answered by our dedicated representatives.
These frontline employees are essential to our operation, caring for customers and resolving issues with compassion, patience and professionalism day in and day out.
To conclude this year’s National Customer Service Week, we’d like to highlight a specific role that requires lots of knowledge and experience.
Our team of Senior CSRs bridge the gap between supervisors and associates, helping each other and customers simultaneously. They offer their peers support on complicated issues and reinforce processes when they’re unsure how to handle a particular scenario. They also speak directly with customers on complex problems, even calling them back personally to follow-up.
Meet two of our Senior CSRs!
Dana is from the Lehigh Valley and has worked at PPL Electric for 25 years! When speaking with our customers, she strives to resolve their issues, while demonstrating genuine empathy and care.
Val is from our Scranton area and has worked at PPL Electric for 37 years! She takes pride in listening to customers’ concerns and offering actionable solutions. She especially enjoys providing assistance to our elderly callers.
We truly appreciate Dana and Val’s tenure and commitment to our customers. Whether you’ve had the pleasure of speaking with them over the phone, or one of our other dedicated representatives, we hope your questions were answered and you enjoyed the interaction.
Happy Customer Service Week to all those working in the service industry!
Jul 30, 2024 | Customer Service
We’re committed to managing prices and securing the lowest cost of energy for our customers. That’s why our Price to Compare or PPL Electric default rate, changes twice per year on June 1 and December 1.
We deliver your electricity, but we don’t own the power plants where it is generated. So if you don’t shop, we pass along the supply cost without markup, at the Price to Compare. This June, it decreased to 10.040¢ per kWh for residential customers and 9.237¢ per kWh for businesses.
However, taking control of your electricity supply rate doesn’t have to be intimidating. You can shop around for an alternative supplier that offers the service, energy source and price that’s right for you. When you sign up with a new supplier, they’ll notify us to make the switch.
We encourage you to check the price you’re paying for electricity supply, compare offers from suppliers and use the Price to Compare as a reference point to see if you’re getting the best deal. You can compare supplier offers at papowerswitch.com.
Check out this video to learn more about smart shopping:
We also offer a variety of ways to manage your bill, track your electricity use and save money.
May 30, 2024 | Storms and Outages
Summer is on the horizon, which often means severe weather, including thunder and lightning. But even with the best preparation, storms or lightning strikes may cause outages. We’re prepared to respond to any storms that hit our area this summer and always. And if outages occur, we’ll work around the clock as safely and quickly as possible to get your lights back on.
Watch this video to learn more about how we prepare.
We want you and your family to be prepared for storms as well.
Here are a few tips to stay safe during summer storms.
When thunder roars, go indoors!
Did you know: According to the National Weather Service, lightning strikes the United States about 25 million times per year?
If the sky looks threatening or you hear thunder, even in the distance, immediately seek shelter. The safest place during a thunder and lightning storm is in an enclosed permanent building or metal-topped vehicle with all doors and windows closed. Outdoor tents or gazebos will not keep you safe from a lightning strike.
Before a storm:
- Prepare an emergency kit with food, water, medication, flashlights and pet supplies.
- Charge your phones and devices.
- Purchase power strips with lightning arrestors or surge protectors for your appliances and electronics.
- Adjust your alert preferences to stay informed in case of an outage at pplelectric.com/alerts.
During a storm:
- Stay away from utility poles and metal conductors.
- Electric and plumbing equipment may carry lightning current. Avoid using any appliances or electronics plugged into an electrical outlet.
- Don’t use water to wash dishes or take a shower.
- Stay away from windows and doors.
- Report an outage, or check the status of an outage, at pplelectric.com/outage.
- And finally, remember to stay indoors for at least 30 minutes after thunder stops.
Source: lightningsafetycouncil.org
