Jan 14, 2026 | Bill Help, Customer Service
The post-holiday blues have just set in, and the winter bills are already piling up. The holiday season — with all its joy and happiness — can be expensive. We feel it, too.
But if you’re receiving higher-than-usual utility bills, we have some explanations, as well as resources to help you conserve and save throughout the rest of this cold winter.
Check out a few reasons your bill may run higher in January:
Colder temps
You may not recall the average temps during the hustle and bustle of the season, but the last month has been pretty chilly across Pennsylvania. If you have electric heat or use electric space heaters to supplement your primary heating source, it’s likely they were working overtime when the temps dropped. Check out our Energy Analyzer at pplelectric.com/EnergyAnalyzer to see how colder temps affect your usage and discover ways to save.
Holiday hosting and usage
Check out the daily usage graph for your most recent bill. Go back to the first day of your billing cycle and try to remember if the days between were any different than those in prior months. For instance, did you:
- Host any holiday gatherings during the bill cycle in question?
- Hang lots of Christmas lights or decorate your front lawn with inflatables?
- Have extra visitors in your home plugging in additional electronics?
- Cook a big family dinner or bake holiday cookies?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, they could be reasons your usage spiked.
The breakdown on bill cycles
Did you know an average bill cycle may range from 26 to 35 days? The number of days billed depends on a variety of things, such as the number of business days within the month. Bills for electric use in November and December tend to have more days than those during the rest of the year because of the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday breaks. This may lead to a higher January bill even if, on average, you were using the same amount of electricity per day.
Budget Billing can help prevent the seasonal swings in your bill. The Budget program evens out your bill over 12 months and makes your payments more predictable. We’ll review your usage every three months to see if your budget amount needs adjustments. At the end of 12 months on the budget, we’ll settle the difference between your actual energy use and the amount you were billed. If you used more, we’ll bill you the difference. If you used less, we’ll credit your account.
Explore your options to save
Our Seasonal Savings Solutions offer resources to help you manage your bill, become more energy efficient and get payment assistance when you need it. Find the right combination of options to help you offset higher winter bills.
Manage your energy use:
- Maintaining your energy use is an effective way to manage costs at any income level. From no-cost and low-cost tips to tools, programs and rebates on energy-efficient products, we can help you conserve and save.
Manage your bill:
- With options like making your bill more predictable, finding tools to track your hourly, daily or monthly electricity use, setting bill alerts, shopping for a supplier and requesting more time to pay, choose the resources that are right for you.
Get help paying:
- If you need help paying your bill, we’re here for you. We have programs and payment arrangements to help every family in need, regardless of income.
If you use more electricity over the winter, you’re not alone. Find the right combination of options to help you offset higher bills at pplelectric.com/SeasonalSavings.
Jul 14, 2025 | Customer Service
Caring for a family is a big job, so we understand you might be facing challenges and burdens far more complex than your electric bills. If you’re caring for an aging parent or loved one, we have simple tools and resources to help you manage their bill with ease, so you can focus on what’s most important.
Our Seasonal Savings Solutions is a one-stop shop for tools to help manage your bill, become more energy-efficient and get payment assistance when you need it. Check out these resources and find the right combination of options to help your relative stay comfortable this season.
- Manage their bill: From making payments more predictable with budget billing to signing up for PPL Alerts for bill and outage notifications, we can help you stay on top of your relative’s account with ease.
- Save energy: We have no-cost and low-cost tips to save energy at home, as well as rebates on energy efficient products.
- Get help paying: If your relative is struggling to pay, we have payment arrangements and assistance programs to help all customers, regardless of income. See which option fits their situation and apply online in minutes.
Another helpful tip when supporting an elderly family member is to get added to their PPL Electric account. This can be extremely useful if you have questions about their account or want to make payments. With access to their account information, you can also sign up for a web profile to manage their bill and make payments digitally at pplelectric.com.
- As an “other,” you can speak on their behalf but would not be able to process certain transactions, like a stop service request. You wouldn’t be financially responsible for the account balance either.
- An “additional ratepayer” has all the same authority as the account holder and can perform all transactions. You would be equally responsible for the account balance.
To request these designations, call our Customer Service team at 1-800-DIAL-PPL with the account holder on the line. They will need to give their verbal consent and authorization to add you to the account.
We hope these tools help provide some relief if you’re facing the challenges of caring for an elderly relative. We know it can be tough, but we’re here to support you.
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.
