Delmarva Power gas and electric customers may apply for bill assistance by Oct. 31

Delmarva Power customers still have time to register for bill payment assistance through the company’s Arrearage Management Program.

The registration deadline for this pilot program has been extended to Thursday, Oct. 31. Launched this May, the program helps customers who are behind on their energy bills get back on track. Developed in collaboration with community organizations across Delaware, AMP helps low-income residential customers reduce or eliminate past-due balances from their current residence. When a customer enrolls in AMP and makes timely payments, in full, on their bills for 12 months, Delmarva Power will forgive their past due balance up to $6,000.

More than 1,500 customers have already signed up for this program, and have been forgiven approximately $90,000, helping them get back on top of their energy bills. Delmarva Power is working closely with community organizations to help identify and sign up eligible customers.

Interested customers must meet the following qualifications to enroll in the program: be an active residential Delmarva Power customer (both natural gas and electric customers are eligible) with a past-due balance of $500 or more; earn at or below 60 percent of the Delaware state median income; and have no active medical certifications on file with Delmarva Power.

Once enrolled, customers are switched to Budget Billing, one of Delmarva Power’s most successful and highly used payment plans. Budget Billing helps customers avoid seasonal peaks in energy bills by dividing their payments evenly over the course of the entire year. Customers then make a single energy payment per month on a regular schedule. Customers who make timely payments in full on their energy bill during the program will have a portion of their past-due balance forgiven each month, up to $6,000 total over the year.

During their participation in the program, customers also will learn about ways to help manage their energy costs in the future through My Account. My Account provides customers with resources to manage their energy needs more efficiently. It contains tools and detailed energy usage information that allows customers to track their energy use, compare usage trends, and discover the results of energy-saving practices.

Enrollment in AMP is managed in conjunction with community organizations across Delaware. Customers must contact these groups first to determine income eligibility. All participating community organizations and their contact information can be found at delmarva.com/AMP.

The AMP pilot was funded as a benefit of the company’s merger with Exelon. Since Delmarva Power became part of the Exelon family of companies three years ago, its customers in Delaware have seen improved efficiency, reliability, savings, and a wide range of benefits, including $1.5 million the company has provided for workforce development initiatives in partnership with Delaware Technical Community College, Delaware State University, the United Way and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Delaware.

In addition to AMP, Delmarva Power offers a number of resources and payment plans that help customers who may be struggling to meet their energy needs. The company’s customer advocacy team works daily with community organizations to connect customers with energy assistance programs like the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program to provide additional support. In 2018, Delmarva Power’s efforts helped more than 17,000 Delaware customers secure $4.3 million in energy assistance.

For more information, go to www.delmarva.com/waystosave and www.delmarva.com/energyassistance.