Penn Power assistance & service programs

This page describes a variety of programs that can help when it comes to paying your electric bill, including convenient bill payment programs, ones with available funding to help pay your bills, and programs that address medical needs. You can scroll through this page, or select a link below to take you right to that section:

Convenient ways to pay your bill
Help paying your bill
Special assistance programs - medical needs, notifications, weatherization and education

Convenient ways to pay your bill

Search this Web site for more information, or contact Penn Power about the following programs:

Online Bill Payment. You can pay your electric bill anytime - day or night, 365 days a year - through our operating company Web sites at www.firstenergycorp.com. Just register your account and follow the prompts. Your payment is safe, secure, and convenient. For more information on the variety of payment options, review this section.

Checkless Payment Plan. Our Checkless Payment Plan automatically deducts your payment from your checking or savings account every month. You don't have to worry about writing checks, buying stamps, or losing your payment in the mail. Learn more>

Equal Payment Plan. Our Equal Payment Plan (EPP) offers you the convenience of making consistent monthly payments and avoiding the normal seasonal highs and lows in your electric bills.

As an EPP customer, each month you are billed one-twelfth of your annual estimated usage. Your account will be reviewed quarterly to determine if your payment amount should change to better reflect your actual usage. If the review results in a change to the EPP amount, you will get a message on your bill advising you of the new amount, which will become effective the following month. On the twelfth month of your payment plan year - your anniversary month - your amount due may be higher or lower than your usual EPP amount in order to bring your balance for the year to zero.  Then your account is reviewed to ensure the appropriate payment amount for the new plan year.

There is no charge to be an EPP customer, but if you decide to return to standard billing, send us an e-mail message or call us. Learn more>

Extended Due Date. If you are at least 60 years old and receive a Social Security or pension check, or if you receive disability assistance, and your electric bill is usually due just before your monthly benefit check comes, we can extend your payment due date until after your check arrives.

Extended Payment Plan. If conditions make it difficult to pay your electric bill on time, we can arrange an extended payment plan. This maintains service while you make payments more suited to your financial situation.

Military Deferred Payment Program 1-800-720-3600. This program is designed to assist customers who are having financial difficulties because their family members have been called to active military duty. Customers participating in the program may elect to defer paying either all or a part of or their monthly electric bill. When the family member in the military service returns home, the account will be reviewed to determine payment arrangements for the balance owed.

Customers who have switched to an alternative generation supplier may defer the charges paid to their supplier only if that supplier offers a deferred payment program. If your supplier does not offer a deferred payment program, the supplier charges must be paid each month.

Help paying your bill

Call the numbers associated with each of the following programs for further information:

Customer Assistance Program (CAP) 1-800-720-3600. CAP helps residential customers maintain electric service. Participating customers are placed on a payment plan that requires a regular monthly payment based on a discounted rate. The goals of CAP are to:

• Improve ability to make a payment
• Reduce consumption of electricity (eligible CAP customers must participate in WARM)

CAP is administered by Human Services staff members and community-based organizations. There are household income requirements and other program qualifications.

Customer Assistance & Referral Evaluation Services
Program (CARES) 1-800-207-9276. CARES provides assistance on a short-term basis to payment-troubled residential customers. Based on individual circumstances, company CARES representatives make referrals to social agencies and provide information on appropriate company and/or external programs. CARES is available to:

• Any customer 60 years of age or over
• A handicapped or disabled customer
• A seriously ill customer
• a customer with a seriously ill family member who resides in the household

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). LIHEAP is a federally funded grant program administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through its network of local county assistance offices. LIHEAP provides customers help with paying winter heating bills, and occasionally summer cooling bills. LIHEAP funds may be used to pay an electric bill even if electricity is not the main source of heat. There are household income requirements for this program. LIHEAP has two components:

1) CASH provides a cash payment directly to the utility, to be applied toward bill reduction if certain guidelines are met.

2) CRISIS provides a grant to help avoid shut off of electric service, which resulted from an over-due bill. This grant also can be used to restore service during the winter months for service already shut off.

Project REACH 1-800-720-3600. Project REACH is an emergency hardship fund designed to help residential customers who have suffered a recent financial hardship and need temporary help in paying their electric bill. Program funding is provided by Penn Power customers, company employees, and FirstEnergy shareholders. The distribution of funds is administered by the Salvation Army located throughout the Penn Power service territory.

To make a contribution to Project REACH, please complete and return this contribution form (pdf).

To view and print this form, you need Adobe® Acrobat® Reader. Click here to download this free software.

Contact Penn Power about the following programs:

Medical Certification. Customers with severe health problems may have a licensed physician certify that, for serious health reasons, service should not be disconnected for nonpayment.

Critical Customer Care Program. The Critical Customer Care Program identifies customers who use certain electrically operated life sustaining medical equipment in their home. The program helps customers - for whom a service interruption could be immediately life threatening, or would make operation of necessary medical or life supporting equipment impossible or impractical - prepare for planned and unplanned power outages. Please contact us if someone in your home uses this type of medical equipment. 

Gatekeeper Program 1-800-207-9276. Gatekeeper is a program where company personnel recognize and report customers who may be in distress. Situations include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Communication - a person who appears confused or disoriented
• Economic condition - someone expresses difficulty with paying bills
• Social condition - older persons living alone or socially isolated
• Physical limitations - severe difficulty seeing, speaking, hearing, or moving around
• Condition of home - structure in need of repair, neglected yard, accumulation of newspapers, offensive odors, or unattended pets

Third Party Notification. Select a third party (a friend, relative, clergy, or social service agency) to be notified, along with yourself, if your electric service is about to be disconnected. The third party is not obligated to pay overdue bills, but can remind you of pending disconnection and help you make payment arrangements.

WARM Program 1-800-720-3600 (program applicants), 1-800-508-5216 (program participants). WARM is a free weatherization and energy education program for Penn Power's residential customers. The objective of the program is to help customers save energy and money by reducing their energy consumption. This is done by installing energy conservation measures in the home and by educating family members on their use of energy.

Penn Power partners with community-based organizations and energy conservation contractors who perform energy-saving home improvements and energy education for customers. There are household income requirements and other program qualifications.

(01/04/07)