Getting Help Shouldn’t Create New Costs: PUC Approves Consumer Safeguards for Utility Assistance Enrollment
Chairman DeFrank motion clears path for more vulnerable Duquesne Light customers to receive bill assistance while protecting them from supplier fees and preserving payment plan rights
HARRISBURG – The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC) today approved additional consumer protections championed by PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank as part of a plan designed to connect more income-eligible Duquesne Light customers with utility bill assistance.
The Commission’s action clears the way for Duquesne Light to automatically enroll certain participants in the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) into the utility’s Customer Assistance Program (CAP), while requiring new safeguards to protect customers from unexpected costs and ensure access to reasonable payment arrangements.
“Many families who qualify for utility assistance never receive the full benefits available to them,” said PUC Chairman Steve DeFrank. “Automatically connecting eligible customers with assistance can help lower monthly bills and reduce utility debt, but it must be done in a way that protects consumers every step of the way. These conditions ensure customers receive the benefits of enrollment withou…