Philadelphia House Delegation, City Councilmembers urge the PUC to commit to ‘No Shutoffs During the Shutdown’
Rep. Jordan A. Harris November 5, 2025 | 10:42 AM
PHILADELPHIA, Nov. 3 – Today, state Reps. Elizabeth Fiedler, Morgan Cephas, Jordan Harris, Danilo Burgos, and other members of the Philadelphia House Delegation joined City Councilmember Mike Driscoll and to call on the Public Utilities Commission to pause disconnection of heating services during the federal government shutdown.
The shutdown has delayed the opening of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by a month. LIHEAP is a utility assistance service that helps low-income households pay their heating bills, leaving economically and medically vulnerable Pennsylvanians without assistance until Dec. 3. In 2024, over 15,000 crisis grants were issued in the month of November alone to prevent the imminent loss of heat to Pennsylvania homes.
“This time of year is a particularly cruel season to lose funding to LIHEAP. Everyday Philadelphians are asking themselves if they should pay to heat their home, buy groceries and medicine, or pay their rent. These funds are a lifeline for tens of thousands of working Philadelphians and seniors as the temperatures drop and costs of energy are going up,” said Cephas, chairwoman of the Philadelphia House Delegation. “It’s frustrating as we watch the federal government weaponize hunger, heat and health care against our neighbors. We’re here today to be intentional about keeping the heat on DC to keep the heat on in our homes.”
“Our region is facing an energy supply crisis that's driving utility costs up, made worse by the recent Republican-led attacks on renewable energy, said Fiedler, chair of the House Energy Committee. “At the same time, unemployment is low, our social safety net is eroding and low-income and working Pennsylvanians are struggling, with 1 out of 5 Pennsylvanians reporting problems paying utility bills. What we need right now is brave, bold action and for Pennsylvania to lead at the state level on energy independence.”
"When did Americans become America's enemy? The federal government is actively attacking our children, the elderly and our working families by targeting aid they rely on," said Burgos, chair of the House Consumer Protection, Technology & Utilities Committee. "These attacks are uncalled for, they're unwarranted and they're extremely harmful to the people of Philadelphia and the Commonwealth. Programs like LIHEAP are a lifeline to countless families across the state who are already struggling to make ends meet. To our officials in Washington: show some warmth and compassion, don't leave Americans in the cold."
The 2024-25 LIHEAP program year served more than 302,000 Pennsylvania households, including over 150,000 seniors, families with children under 5 and individuals with a disability as of December 2024. Without the program this month, these neighbors will be left in the cold.
Due to the rising cost of utility bills and increasingly frequent extreme weather, there is an even greater number of households anticipated to be at risk for termination this year. One in five Pennsylvania households report problems paying their bills, and over 260,000 Pennsylvania households experienced a gas or electric shutoff before September this year.
“As chair of City Council’s Committee on Public Property and Public Works, I see every day how vital access to basic utilities is for keeping our neighborhoods safe and strong,” said Driscoll, chair of the City Council Licenses and Inspections Committee. “When the federal government shuts down, it’s not the halls of Congress that go dark; it’s kitchen tables in neighborhoods like ours, where families are left wondering how to make it through the month. Families are facing impossible choices between paying for heat, housing, and health care.
"I want to thank PECO and PGW for being good corporate citizens and offering assistance programs that help eligible customers stay connected,” he said. “I also want to thank LIHEAP for convening our partners and keeping the focus on helping families through the cold months ahead. In Philadelphia, we take care of each other because that’s what democracy looks like in action.”
Facing terminations, low-income households may choose to rely on dangerous space heaters or open ovens to warm their homes, forgo other expenses to pay utility bills or go without heat entirely in potentially fatal temperatures. For so many of our most vulnerable neighbors, this program is literally lifesaving. They should not suffer without this critical utility service due to political gridlock.
On Wednesday, Oct. 29, the Philadelphia House Delegation sent a letter to Philadelphia-area utility providers and to the Public Utilities Commission encouraging them to pause service shutoffs for nonpayment until LIHEAP reopens. On Thursday, Oct. 30, PECO and PGW announced they would not proceed with shutoffs for customers who meet certain requirements.
The PUC has the authority to require utility companies statewide to do the same. The last time the PUC prohibited termination of utility services was during the COVID-19 state of emergency.
A second letter urging the PUC to halt shutoffs was signed by 75+ members of the PA House Democratic Caucus. It also requests utilities pause terminations, work with low-income households to restore disconnected service, and offer customer assistance programs and equitable payment arrangements to remain connected.
PGW and PECO customers are encouraged to apply for the programs that will prevent shutoffs. PGW customers must be in the Customer Responsibility Program and can enroll by calling 215-235-1000. PECO customers must be enrolled in the Customer Assistance Program and can call 1-800-774-7040 for help with their application.