PHOTO PROVIDED John Kucher, manager of Business Services at PPL Electric, took some time to answer commonly-asked billing questions.

From Staff Reports

PPL Electric Utilities customers often have questions related to their monthly bill, and sometimes they make their monthly payments without truly understanding the variation in their bills.

PPL Electric wants to answer these questions to educate customers about how the company does business, as well as provide information about the bill help options available so they can choose a plan that is best for them.

John Kucher, manager of Business Services, has compiled and answered 10 of the most commonly asked questions by PPL Electric customers:

Question #1: How many days are in a billing cycle?

Answer: An average billing cycle may range from 26 to 35 days depending on several factors, such as the number of business days within the month.

Question #2: Do I need a past-due balance to apply for help with my bill?

Answer: No. This is a common misconception. You don’t need to be past due to apply for help. We offer a variety of payment assistance options for customers regardless of income or balance, which will be provided below.

Question #3: Can you be enrolled on the OnTrack program and still receive a LIHEAP grant?

Answer: Yes! You can maximize your OnTrack benefits by applying for a LIHEAP grant. If the money PPL Electric receives from LIHEAP is more than your monthly OnTrack payment, the LIHEAP grant will be used to cover your bill each month until the credit is gone.

Question #4: Is electricity the same price no matter what time of day you’re using it?

Answer: If you’re on the PPL Electric default rate, then yes, you’ll pay the same price for electricity no matter when you use it. However, if you are specifically enrolled in our Time-of-Use rate, you’ll pay different prices for usage during different times of day. To save money while enrolled, you may need to shift your usage to the off-peak hours and avoid usage during on-peak periods. If you shop for electricity through a supplier, you may receive time-varying rates, depending on what your supplier offers. Learn more here.

Question #5: Can I enroll in AutoPay if I have a payment arrangement?

Answer: This is a good question. You are not eligible to enroll in AutoPay if you’re on a payment arrangement to pay off a past-due balance. Once your bill is current, you can certainly enroll. Until then, you can make a one-time payment for free with a bank account on PPL Electric’s website or use any of your other payment options at pplelectric.com/PayBill.

Question #6: How do I know if I am enrolled in AutoPay?

Answer: If you’re viewing a paper bill or a digital version from your online profile, you’ll see “AutoPay” in the “amount due” box at the top of the first page of your bill.

On the “account summary” page of your online profile, you’ll also see “AutoPay” under the billing details section with the date your payment will be automatically withdrawn from your bank account.

Question #7: Why isn’t my bill due the same date each month?

Answer: Your actual due date may vary depending on the number of business days within the month or billing cycle. You may notice your bill is due a few days later in months where there are multiple holidays. It could also vary if you’re shopping with an electricity supplier.

Question #8: Can I add my account to two different online profiles?

Answer: The short answer is no. However, the owner of any online profile can share access to an account with another user with a different email address. To do this, the owner would add their account to their online profile. Then, enter the email address of the other user to share the account with. That user will receive an email where they can sign into their own online profile and view the shared account.

Question #9: Why do I see electricity on my usage graph for days I wasn’t at home?

Answer: Although you may be away or on vacation, things like appliances or electronics that are plugged in will still use electricity, so it’s unusual you would see zero usage for any given day unless your main breaker is shut off completely.

Question #10: If I cancel my plan with another electricity supplier, do I have to notify PPL Electric?

Answer: No. Once your supplier is notified and dropped, you’ll automatically return to PPL Electric’s default rate, or the Price to Compare.

Bill help options

When it comes to bills, everyone can use a little help sometimes. That’s why PPL Electric offers a variety of assistance programs for customers:

— OnTrack: offers fixed monthly payments and referrals to energy-saving programs. If customers have a past-due balance, OnTrack also offers debt forgiveness.

— WRAP: helps reduce monthly electricity use, leading to lower bills for eligible customers.

— Operation HELP: provides cash grants to customers struggling to pay their electric bills.

— Payment arrangements: help customers pay down an overdue balance over time.

— Budget billing: averages a customer’s electric use over the entire year and then smooths out bills so they’re more predictable.

— Bill due date flexibility: for customers up to date with bills, they can pick the monthly due date to better fit with their income schedule.

For additional bill-related questions customers may have, they can visit pplelectric.com and select the “More” option to see a variety of content. PPL Electric is also always available to answer questions via social media or over the phone at 1-800-342-5775.