This week, PECO announced the launch of a $10 million Customer Relief Fund to help households in Southeastern Pennsylvania manage high summer energy costs.
Supported by Exelon and administered by the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, this fund will provide one-time $500 bill credits for income-qualified residential customers. The Relief Fund targets customers who tend to fall between the cracks, earning too much to qualify for traditional assistance, but not enough to comfortably afford rising energy bills.
PEA commends PECO for this important and timely action. High temperatures, high demand, and high supply costs are creating a perfect storm for utility prices to escalate at a time when consumers are already facing rising costs. Relief funding is essential for preventing service shutoffs and for helping utility customers stay safe and healthy in their homes.
As an organization that works at the intersection of clean energy, economic development, and poverty alleviation, PEA also sees the current affordability crisis as a moment for utility leaders to look beyond emergency assistance and toward more sustainable, long-term solutions. Greater adoption of clean energy is vital to address the root causes of high energy burdens, particularly for low- and moderate-income households.
At PEA, our mission is to drive equitable clean energy investments that create jobs, lower utility bills, and support public health. Built to Last provides comprehensive home repairs that enable weatherization and energy-saving services. Solarize Greater Philadelphia is making solar energy accessible to homeowners regardless of income, lowering their electricity bills dramatically. We've seen firsthand how holistic interventions like these can transform homes and lives.
When we upgrade a home with insulation, air sealing, a high-efficiency heat pump, and solar panels, we are doing more than lowering energy costs, we are building resilience. By reducing year-round utility costs, our programs also reduce dependence on emergency utility bill relief.
Pairing heat pumps with rooftop solar is one of the most effective ways to address both summer cooling and winter heating costs in a sustainable manner. This integrated approach not only reduces bills, it protects residents from the volatility of energy markets and the growing frequency of extreme weather events linked to climate change.
PECO's new fund is especially noteworthy because it targets customers with incomes between 151-300 percent of the federal poverty level, a group often overlooked by traditional aid programs. These households face real energy insecurity, yet typically do not qualify for low-income programs like LIHEAP or CAP. This is the same population that PEA aims to support through our energy equity and climate adaptation initiatives.
While one-time assistance is vital in the short term, building long-term energy security requires investing in the homes themselves. We encourage regional utilities, philanthropic partners, and policymakers to think holistically about energy affordability: not just through bill credits, but through capital improvements, rooftop and community solar, and home electrification.
As we navigate the dual crises of climate change and housing affordability, we must continue to align emergency support with forward-looking investments that lower structural energy burdens. Relief funds are necessary and so are scalable programs that deliver lasting change.
We applaud PECO and United Way for stepping up with a rapid response to summer energy cost pressures. Let's use this as a springboard to push for clean energy solutions that serve as both climate action and poverty relief.
