GREENSBURG, Pa., Aug. 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Residential and business customers of FirstEnergy Corp's (NYSE: FE) Pennsylvania electric utilities who are having difficulty making ends meet are encouraged to contact their utility now to enroll in payment plans or bill assistance programs. While shutoffs for nonpayment are temporarily suspended due to the pandemic, establishing an affordable payment arrangement or obtaining assistance can help keep balances manageable during this difficult time.

"We understand many customers are in a difficult financial situation because of the pandemic," said Michelle Henry, vice president of customer service at FirstEnergy. "Customers who have lost income during this crisis may be eligible for assistance that was unavailable to them before, but some of those programs might not be available later, when overdue balances must be addressed."

Customer service representatives are available to assist residential customers with manageable payment arrangements and can provide customers with information on needs-based assistance programs. These programs may include forgiveness of all or part of a customer's overdue balance, helping them to avoid a large bill that would otherwise be due when the temporary suspension on shutoffs ends.

Assistance programs for residential customers include:

Dollar Energy Fund: An emergency hardship fund that helps residential customers restore or maintain electric service. Eligible customers may receive up to $500 while funds are available. Program funding is provided by FirstEnergy's customers, employees and shareholders and other sources. The distribution of funds is administered by the Dollar Energy Fund. For information, call 888-282-6816 or visit www.dollarenergy.org.

The Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program (PCAP): PCAP helps residential customers maintain electric service and eliminate past-due balances. For enrollment information call 888-282-6816, or to apply online, visit dollarenergy.org/myapp.

LIHEAP is a federally funded grant program administered by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania through local county assistance offices. Under LIHEAP's Recovery Crisis Program, eligible customers may receive Crisis grants of up to $800 to help with past due electric bills. Applications will be accepted until August 31 or until funds are exhausted. To apply, call LIHEAP at 877-395-8930 or visit www.compass.state.pa.us.

WARM Program: Income eligible customers can reduce their electric bills by making their homes more energy efficient by receiving an in-home energy evaluation, working with a trained energy educator to create an energy-savings plan, and having the opportunity to receive energy-saving upgrades. The specific improvements that a customer is eligible to receive will be determined during the home energy evaluation. For more information, customers can call Dollar Energy Fund at 888-282-6816, or apply online at www.energysavepa.com.

211: This nationwide resource and information helpline identifies locally available programs that may assist customers with utility bills or other needs. For more information dial 211, visit www.211.org or text your ZIP code to 898211.

To apply or learn more about other company programs, visit www.firstenergycorp.com/billassist or call 800-545-7741.

FirstEnergy's Pennsylvania utilities also have established a customer service team dedicated to assisting business and commercial customers. This team can provide helpful information on available assistance programs and offer payment arrangements if needed. To explore these programs, please contact your utility company and ask to speak with a member of the Small Business Team.

Met-Ed serves about 560,000 customers within 3,300 square miles of eastern and southeastern Pennsylvania. Follow Met-Ed on Twitter @Met Ed and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MetEdElectric.

Penelec serves nearly 600,000 customers within 17,600 square miles of northern and central Pennsylvania. Follow Penelec on Twitter @Penelec and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PenelecElectric.

Penn Power serves approximately 163,000 customers within 1,100 square miles of western Pennsylvania. Follow Penn Power on Twitter @Penn Power and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PennPower.

West Penn Power serves approximately 720,000 customers within 10,400 square miles of central and southwestern Pennsylvania. Follow West Penn Power on Twitter @W_Penn_Power and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/WestPennPower.

FirstEnergy is dedicated to safety, reliability and operational excellence. Its 10 electric distribution companies form one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, serving customers in Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, Maryland and New York. The company's transmission subsidiaries operate approximately 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions. Visit FirstEnergy online at www.firstenergycorp.com and follow FirstEnergy on Twitter @FirstEnergyCorp.

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SOURCE FirstEnergy Corp.