Pennsylvania Low-Income Spending Grows by 18 Percent

The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has released the seventh annual summary of the universal service programs and collections performance of each of the state’s major electric distribution companies and natural gas distribution companies.

Universal service programs are those designed to help ensure that all customers have access to utility service no matter what their income. Programs include Customer Assistance Programs (CAPs), which provide bill payment assistance; the Low Income Usage Reduction Program (LIURP), Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation Services (CARES) and Hardship Funds (also known as fuel funds). CARES is a component of CAPs under which utility representatives provide case management and referral services to a limited number of customers with special needs.

Generally, electric and natural gas customer households who are enrolled in universal service programs have average household incomes that are less than $15,000 a year.

Highlights from the 2006 report include that electric companies:

Spent $117,050,577 to enroll 217,651 customers in CAPs where on average those customers pay 81 percent of their total bill.
Spent $20,710,051 to provide 19,443 households with electric usage measures under LIURP.
Saw about 11,400 customers receive nearly $3.6 million in hardship fund benefits.

Highlights also include that the natural gas companies:

Spent $173,063,559 to enroll 182,034 customers in CAPs where on average those customers pay 86 percent of their total bill.
Spent $7,614,175 to provide 4,314 households with LIURP.
Saw about 9,600 customers receive more than $3.6 million in hardship fund benefits.

The 2006 spending total for CAPs and LIURP was $318 million, an 18 percent increase over the $270 million total for 2005.

Source: Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission

Page Last Updated: August 8, 2007