State Representative Napoleon Nelson, who serves Cheltenham, Jenkintown and Springfield, provided an update on the ongoing delayed/backdated PECO billing issue affecting thousands of PECO customers in the greater Glenside region.

Nelson and other state representatives sent the following in a letter to PECO on April 25:

Dear Mr. Oliver:

Over the past year, our offices have received a number of complaints from constituents regarding inexplicable and unacceptable billing errors originating from PECO. These issues—beginning summer of 2024—have resulted in prolonged uncertainty.

Constituents were left without energy bills for months, only to later receive massive, retroactive charges with no warning or clear explanation. Others remain in limbo, awaiting statements for services rendered a year ago. PECO itself has admitted that this has impacted 10,000 customers but has failed to provide any viable recourse. Instead, PECO has forced individuals into an indefinite state of confusion and financial hardship.

Efforts to resolve these issues through direct engagement with PECO have proven futile. We have been informed that corrections must be manually processed, case by case, with no avenue for expedited resolution. This is not acceptable.

While we acknowledge PECO’s offer of payment plans for affected customers, it is far from a sufficient response. Constituents deserve a real, substantive solution—one that is timely and transparent. We demand that PECO immediately implement a plan to rectify these billing errors in a manner that does not continue to place an undue burden on the individuals who rely on your services.

The lack of urgency displayed in addressing these matters is deeply concerning. It is PECO’s responsibility to uphold trust and provide reliable service to its customers. A failure to act decisively and transparently will warrant more public inquiry and intervention. We expect a prompt response outlining the corrective measures PECO will take to ensure this issue is fully resolved without further hardship to our constituents.

We expect a prompt response outlining the corrective measures PECO will take to ensure this issue is
fully resolved without further hardship to our constituents.

“PECO has let us know that, for gas and electric customers who are experiencing delayed bills, PECO has removed them from the collections process and waived any late payment fees,” Nelson said in a post.

His post continued:

Importantly, if you are enrolled in autopay, you must take action to unenroll by accessing your account online (https://www.peco.com/) or by contacting PECO’s Customer Care Center at 1-800-494-4000 or PECOBilling@exeloncorp.com to pause autopay before the due date on your first bill received. PECO has stated that customers will not be expected to pay the full balance immediately upon receipt, but unenrolling removes any concern that once bills are generated, payments for several months could be automatically withdrawn.

PECO will be working with affected customers on individualized payment agreements; please contact them as explained above if needed. Furthermore, customers experiencing a delayed bill are not subject to service termination. Delayed billing should not affect customers’ LIHEAP grants nor customers who moved or changed accounts during the delay.

For all the latest news, follow us on Facebook or sign up for Glenside Local’s “Daily Buzz” newsletter here.