With energy costs rising, many Americans are falling behind on their utility bills. In fact, 31% have struggled to pay their electric bills, according to a recent Smart Energy Consumer Collaborative survey. If you’re one of them — but don’t qualify for traditional aid — a new $500 grant could help.
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Here’s how to know if you qualify.
You Are a PECO Customer
This new grant program is specifically for Americans who are PECO customers. PECO is Pennsylvania’s largest electric and natural gas energy company, and it serves more than 1.7 million electric and 545,000 natural gas customers in southeastern Pennsylvania.
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You Earn Too Much for Traditional Aid
There are currently several assistance programs that help PECO customers afford their electric bills, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance program and PECO’s Customer Assistance Program, WHYY reported. To qualify for these programs, a household’s income cannot exceed $23,475 annually for an individual or $48,225 for a family of four.
The $500 grants will have higher income thresholds — it’s available to households earning between 151% and 300% the federal poverty level, or between $48,547 and $96,450 annually for a family of four.
You Have a Past-Due Balance Under $2K
You must have overdue PECO bills to qualify for the grant. However, you can’t have a past-due balance of more than $2,000, unless the grant would bring your balance down below $2,000.
Other eligibility requirements include:
- You have not received a grant from this program previously.
- You have no theft-of-service charges on the PECO account in the past 12 months.
How To Apply for the $500 Grant
If you qualify for the grant program, you can apply online here. The program will be available from Aug. 4 through Dec. 31, or until available funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
The grant program is being funded by a $10 million one-time charitable contribution by Exelon, PECO’s parent company.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: New $500 Grant Could Help You Pay Overdue Utility Bills — See If You Qualify
