PECO Bill Help in Philadelphia 2026–27: CAP-PIPP, Debt Forgiveness, LIHEAP, MEAF and Winter Shutoff Rules
If you're behind on a PECO electric bill in Philadelphia, there's more help available than most people realize. PECO's main low-income program sets your bill as a share of your household income instead of what you actually use. It can also wipe out your old past-due balance over 12 months. On top of that, Pennsylvania's LIHEAP season opens November 2, 2026, and the state's winter shutoff protections start December 1.
This guide covers who qualifies, how much each program can do, which phone number to call for what, and how to put the programs together if you already have a shutoff notice.
One thing to know first: in Philadelphia, PECO provides electricity, and Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) provides gas. PECO's plan says its gas service doesn't cover Philadelphia County. Everything below applies to your PECO electric bill. PGW runs its own assistance programs.
Last checked October 2026. Sources: PECO's Universal Service and Energy Conservation Plan (2019–2028), as revised in 2026 and filed with the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission; PECO's Customer Handbook; the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) LIHEAP page and its 2026/27 "Important Facts" sheet; and the PUC's February 2026 "Protections for Responsible Utility Customers" fact sheet. Program amounts can change, so confirm with PECO before you rely on any figure.
The Short Version
CAP-PIPP (Customer Assistance Program): for households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. Your electric bill becomes a fixed percentage of your income. Call 1-800-774-7040 (7 a.m. to 7 p.m., according to the PECO Customer Handbook).
Old debt forgiven: new CAP enrollees can have their past-due balance forgiven in 12 monthly pieces by paying each CAP bill in full and on time.
LIHEAP 2026–27: opens Monday, November 2, 2026, and runs through Friday, April 23, 2027. Cash grants are $200 to $1,000, and crisis grants go up to $1,000 for the season. Hotline: 1-866-857-7095.
MEAF: PECO's hardship fund, up to $1,250 for households at or below 200% of poverty that face a shutoff or have already lost service. In Philadelphia, the intake agency is the Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF).
Winter protection: from December 1 through March 31, utilities generally can't shut off service to households at or below 250% of poverty without PUC approval.
Medical certificate: a letter from a doctor, physician assistant or nurse practitioner can stop a shutoff for up to 30 days, and it can be renewed.
General PECO customer service: 1-800-494-4000.
CAP-PIPP: Your Electric Bill Based on Your Income
In December 2022, PECO replaced its old Customer Assistance Program with a Percentage of Income Payment Plan, called CAP-PIPP. Instead of paying for every kilowatt-hour, you pay a set share of your household income. PECO applies "CAP credits" to bring your full bill down to that amount.
Who Qualifies
You qualify if you're a residential PECO customer and your total household gross income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. You don't have to be on public assistance.
The PUC's February 2026 fact sheet lists these monthly income limits at 150% of poverty:
| Household size | Monthly income at 150% of poverty | |---|---| | 1 | $1,995 | | 2 | $2,705 | | 3 | $3,415 | | 4 | $4,125 | | Each additional person | add $710 |
How Much You'd Pay
PECO's plan sets the share of income (the "energy burden") by poverty level and by how you heat your home:
| Household income | Electric, not used for heat | Electric heat | |---|---|---| | 0–50% of poverty | 2% of income | 6% of income | | 51–150% of poverty | 4% of income | 10% of income |
Example: a two-person household with $24,000 a year in income (about 111% of poverty), without electric heat, would have an annual CAP-PIPP bill of about $960 (4% of $24,000), or $80 a month. Your real amount depends on PECO's calculation for your household.
Every CAP-PIPP bill has a monthly minimum. That's $10 for customers who don't heat with electricity and $20 for electric-heat customers.
There is also an annual maximum on CAP credits. At 0–50% of poverty, the plan lists a cap of $3,016 for non-heating customers and $4,284 for electric-heat customers. The plan says these caps go up when PECO gets a residential rate increase, so ask PECO for the current figure. PECO says it sends letters when you've used 75% and 90% of your annual credits. Customers who use in-home medical equipment may be able to get an exemption from the electric cap. The instructions come with the cap notice letter.
Your Old Balance Can Be Forgiven
This is the part many people miss. When you first enroll in CAP, PECO sets aside your existing past-due balance, which it calls the "pre-program arrearage." It splits that balance into 12 equal parts. Each month you pay your CAP bill in full and on time, PECO forgives one-twelfth.
If you fall behind and miss some forgiveness, PECO's plan allows you to catch up. Once you bring your bill current, PECO forgives the amounts you missed. Forgiveness is available only at your first enrollment, and someone who already got forgiveness as an adult at another address may not get it again.
What PECO Asks of CAP Customers
According to the plan, you must:
Prove household income for every adult age 18 or older, or file one "no income" form for the household
Report income changes to PECO right away
Recertify your eligibility: every 2 years for most customers, every 4 years if you get a LIHEAP grant, and every 6 months if you report no income
Accept a home energy audit (LIURP, described below) if PECO flags your home as a high-usage home
Enroll only one address
Moving within PECO's territory? CAP and any remaining forgiveness move with you if you transfer service within the plan's transfer window.
How to Apply
The plan says the CAP application is at peco.com/CAP, and the PECO Customer Handbook lists 1-800-774-7040 for assistance programs. New this season: if you get a LIHEAP grant, send part of it to PECO, and let DHS share your income information, the plan says you can sign a short Informed Consent Form instead of filling out the full CAP application. PECO mails that form along with LIHEAP-related letters.
LIHEAP 2026–27: Opens November 2
Pennsylvania's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a grant you don't repay. The money goes straight to your utility or fuel company. You can rent or own, and you don't need an unpaid bill to qualify.
Key dates and amounts (from DHS):
Season: Monday, November 2, 2026, through Friday, April 23, 2027
Cash grants: $200 to $1,000, one per season, based on region, income, heating type and household size
Crisis grants: $25 up to $1,000 total for the season, for a heating emergency
2026–27 annual income limits:
| Household size | Income limit | |---|---| | 1 | $23,940 | | 2 | $32,460 | | 3 | $40,980 | | 4 | $49,500 | | 5 | $58,020 | | 6 | $66,540 | | Each additional person | add $8,520 |
How to apply: online through COMPASS starting November 2. You can also call the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095 or contact your County Assistance Office. If you got LIHEAP last season, watch for an application or COMPASS postcard with a registration number that lets you apply early. To check your status, go to trackmybenefits.pa.gov.
Crisis Grants
Crisis grants are for households that have no heat or are within 15 days of losing it. DHS's main LIHEAP page counts a utility termination notice for a shutoff within the next 60 days as an emergency. Requests have to go through your County Assistance Office. If you haven't applied for regular LIHEAP yet this season, you have to apply for that first. You can get more than one crisis payment in a season, up to the $1,000 total.
Important for PECO customers: if your heat is electric, a PECO shutoff notice is a heating emergency. If you heat with PGW gas, a PECO electric notice may not count unless your heating system needs electricity to run. DHS counts a "second heating source" that powers your main system, so ask your County Assistance Office.
MEAF: PECO's Hardship Fund
The Matching Energy Assistance Fund is paid for by customer donations, which PECO matches. According to PECO's plan, you can get a MEAF grant if all of these are true:
Household income is at or below 200% of poverty
You haven't received a MEAF grant in the past 12 months
You face an imminent shutoff or your service has already been shut off
The grant, along with your own payment or other grants, will bring the balance on your termination notice to zero
The maximum grant is $1,250. If your shutoff amount is more than that, you need to cover the rest yourself or with other help, such as a LIHEAP crisis grant, before MEAF pays.
In Philadelphia, PECO's plan names the Utility Emergency Services Fund (UESF) as the MEAF intake agency. The plan's agency list, dated 2020, gives UESF's address as 1608 Walnut Street, Suite 600, and its phone as (215) 972-5170. Call to confirm current intake hours. The handbook also lists 1-800-403-6806 for MEAF questions.
CARES and LIURP
CARES (Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation Services) is for customers with special needs or circumstances that make it hard to pay. CARES staff can connect you with grants and referrals, and the plan says eligible customers may get temporary protection from shutoff. Call 1-800-774-7040.
LIURP (Low Income Usage Reduction Program) provides a free energy audit and weatherization for households at or below 200% of poverty with high usage. That means more than 600 kWh a month of baseline electricity or 1,400 kWh a month for electric heat. CAP customers qualify at 500 kWh a month or more. The handbook lists 1-800-675-0222 for LIURP. If your landlord refuses a LIURP audit, the plan says you won't be dropped from CAP.
Shutoff Rules That Protect You
The PUC's February 2026 fact sheet says that before a shutoff, a utility must:
Send a 10-day notice
Try to reach you at least three days before the shutoff, either by two phone attempts or one home visit, or electronically if you agreed to that
A termination notice is valid for 60 days, and a shutoff can happen anytime from day 11 through day 60.
Winter moratorium: from December 1 through March 31, households at or below 250% of poverty are generally protected from shutoff without PUC approval. That's a monthly income of up to $3,325 for one person, $4,508 for two, $5,692 for three or $6,875 for four, plus $1,183 for each additional person. If service is shut off during that period, the utility must restore it within 24 hours after you pay and meet its conditions.
Medical certificate: if someone at home is seriously ill, a licensed physician, physician assistant or nurse practitioner can certify that a shutoff would harm them. The first certificate lasts up to 30 days and can be renewed. You still owe the bill during that time, so keep paying what you can.
Third-party notification: you can name a friend or relative to get copies of your late and shutoff notices. They're not responsible for paying.
Payment arrangements: the PUC says a utility must offer at least one payment arrangement. If you can't reach a fair agreement with PECO, you can file a complaint with the PUC at 1-800-692-7380. The PUC says it can't set a payment arrangement on CAP debt.
If You Have a PECO Shutoff Notice Today
Call PECO at 1-800-774-7040 and say you want to apply for CAP-PIPP and ask about CARES protection.
If you're at or below 200% of poverty, contact UESF about a MEAF grant. Ask what amount will bring your notice to zero.
After November 2, apply for LIHEAP and, if you qualify, request a crisis grant through your County Assistance Office.
If someone at home is seriously ill, get a medical certificate to PECO right away.
From December 1, if your income is at or below 250% of poverty, tell PECO so the winter protection applies.
Keep paying something. A partial payment shows good faith and keeps more options open.
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