We’re answering your top 10 questions

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.