Feb 3, 2025 | Customer Service
Do you ever have a random question about your electric bill, but don’t have the time or energy to call us and ask? You might be curious about something but never reach out because of the hustle and bustle of your daily schedule. So, you continue making your monthly payments but never truly understand the variation in your bill, or what we always refer to as “mutual assistance” during major storms.
Well, this month we are answering those questions.
Keep an eye on our social sites during February because we’ll be sharing our top 10 most frequently asked questions and answers. We’ll post them all here, so don’t worry if you miss them.
We hope this series helps provide a little insight and education on how we do business.
Our Top 10 FAQs
Question #1: How many days are in a billing cycle?
- Answer: An average billing cycle may range from 26 to 35 days depending on a variety of things, such as the number of business days within the month.
Question #2: Do I need a past due balance to apply for help with my bill?
- Answer: No. This is a common misconception. You don’t need to be past due to apply for help. We offer a variety of payment assistance options for customers regardless of income or balance. Learn more and apply at pplelectric.com/BillHelp.
Question #3: Can you be enrolled on the OnTrack program and still receive a LIHEAP grant?
- Answer: Yes! You can maximize your OnTrack benefits by applying for a LIHEAP grant. If the money we receive from LIHEAP is more than your monthly OnTrack payment, we’ll use the LIHEAP grant to cover your bill each month until the credit is exhausted.
Question #4: Is electricity the same price no matter what time of day you’re using it?
- Answer: If you’re on the PPL Electric default rate, then yes, you’ll pay the same price for electricity no matter when you use it. However, if you are specifically enrolled on our Time-of-Use (TOU) rate, you’ll pay different prices for usage during different times of day. To save money with this price structure, you may need to shift your usage to the off-peak hours and avoid usage during on-peak periods. If you shop for your electricity supply through a supplier, you may receive time-varying rates, depending on what your supplier offers. Learn more here.
Question #5: Can I enroll on Auto Pay if I have a payment arrangement?
- Answer: Good question. You are not eligible to enroll on AutoPay if you’re on a payment arrangement to pay off a past due balance. Once your bill is current, you can certainly enroll. Until then, you can make a one-time payment for free with a bank account on our website or use any of our other payment options at pplelectric.com/PayBill.
Question #6: How do I know if I am enrolled on AutoPay?
- Answer: If you’re viewing a paper bill or a digital version from your online profile, you’ll see “AutoPay” in the amount due box at the top of page 1 of your bill. On the Account Summary page of your online profile, you’ll also see “AutoPay” under the billing details section with the date your payment will be automatically withdrawn from your bank account.
Question #7: Why isn’t my bill due date the same date each month?
- Answer: Your actual due date may vary depending on the number of business days within the month or billing cycle. You may notice your bill is due a few days later in months where there are multiple holidays. It could also vary if you’re shopping with an electricity supplier.
Question #8: You talk about mutual assistance a lot during storms. What is that?
- Answer: We’re members of two mutual assistance groups who can provide hundreds of additional resources within 24 hours to help us restore power to our customers. These additional crews and resources help us get our customers’ lights on faster than if we were working alone. When other areas experience major storms or hurricanes, and our region is safe, we often respond to the call and send crews to help them, too.
Question #9: Can I add my account to two different online profiles?
- Answer: The short answer is no. However, the owner of any online profile can share access to an account with another user with a different email address. To do this, the owner would add their account to their online profile. Then, enter the email address of the other user to share the account with. That user will receive an email where they can sign into their own online profile and view the shared account.
Question #10: Why do I see electricity on my usage graph for days I wasn’t at home?
- Answer: Although you may be away or on vacation, things like appliances or electronics that are plugged in will still use electricity, so it’s unusual you would see zero usage for any given day unless your main breaker is shut off completely.
For any additional questions you might have, visit pplelectric.com and select the “More” option to see a variety of content, such as billing and payment options. And as always, we’re available to answer your questions via social media or over the phone at 1-800-342-5775.
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!
Jun 4, 2024 | Environment
Thanks to our environmentally conscious customers, Pennsylvania is now 5,000 trees richer!
Back in April, we ran a campaign to encourage customers to sign up for paperless billing in celebration of Earth Month. The premise was simple, for every customer that enrolled in paperless billing during the month, we’d commit to plant a tree within one of the many communities we serve thanks to our Community Roots Program. And we’re happy to report that we’ll be planting 5,000 new trees across our service territory.
Mature trees can absorb more than 48 pounds of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere each year, according to the Arbor Day Foundation. Which means these trees — thanks to our customers — will grow up and absorb more than 240,000 pounds of carbon dioxide each year, the equivalent of removing approximately 26 gasoline-powered vehicles from roads annually. With just one small change, you’ve helped the environment in a big way. Thank you to everyone who went paperless in April!
Our Community Roots Program, which began in 2017, provides native trees and pollinator-friendly plants and seeds that enhance the environment and help beautify the region. Since the program began, we’ve distributed more than 132,000 trees, shrubs and native pollinator-friendly plants across eastern and central Pennsylvania.
Learn more about our Community Roots Program, and all our environmental efforts, at pplelectric.com/environmental. And, if you haven’t enrolled in paperless billing yet, sign up today at pplelectric.com/paperless.
Apr 10, 2023 | Customer Service
Have you visited pplelectric.com recently?
Here are 10 reasons you should set up your online account today.
1) It’s easy: You can set up an online account at pplelectric.com/register in three simple steps.
2) It’s mobile: The site is built for your mobile device, so managing your account is easier than ever on any phone, tablet, or laptop.
3) It’s convenient: With the site’s enhanced self-service areas, you can make everyday transactions without picking up the phone.
4) Pay your bill: Make a one-time payment or set up automatic payments, all in a few clicks.
5) Get bill help: Once logged in, you can answer a few questions to get customized payment assistance options.
6) Go paperless: Save money and time – and help the planet – by signing up for paperless billing.
7) Manage your energy use: Track your electricity use over time so you can take charge of your energy use.
8) Get moving: At pplelectric.com/moving you can start, stop, or transfer your electric service up to 40 days before you move.
9) Shop for supply: Find tips and tools to help you choose the electricity supplier that offers the price and service that’s right for you.
10) So much more: On pplelectric.com you can report and check on an outage, explore our energy efficiency programs and rebates, learn more about electrical safety and more.
Don’t wait. Set up your online account at pplelectric.com today!
Dec 5, 2022 | Bill Help
Colder winter temperatures can mean more energy use and higher bills. We’re here to help. If you’re struggling with your electric bills, you have options that can ease the burden:
- OnTrack: If you’re eligible, this PPL Electric program can help with lower, fixed monthly payments and debt forgiveness.
- LIHEAP: A federal program, LIHEAP offers grants to help offset your energy bills or pay off past-due balances.
- ERAP: Since 2020, our customers have received more than $10 million in assistance from this federal program. If you rent your home and your income was impacted by the pandemic, ERAP may be able to help.
- Operation HELP: This PPL Electric fund, supported by customers and employees, provides free grants to eligible customers.
- WRAP: Energy efficiency can help you save money. If you’re eligible for WRAP, you can receive free energy efficiency products and services.
To learn more about all the ways we can help this winter – and for energy efficiency tools, tips, and programs – visit pplelectric.com/highbill today.
