HARRISBURG — Small business owners in Pennsylvania who have been economically impacted by COVID-19 may be eligible for assistance with their utility bills.

This new, temporary program allows eligible small businesses to enter into arrangements with their utilities to catch up on past due amounts and maintain essential service.

“Affected small business owners can enter into payment arrangements under new rules established by the Public Utility Commission,” said John Evans, Pennsylvania’s small business advocate. “These customers can pay back past due amounts over a period of no less than eighteen months, which gives them a better chance of staying in business until the economy recovers from the effects of the pandemic.”

Terry Fitzpatrick, president & CEO of the Energy Association of Pennsylvania, encourages businesses to reach out for help.

“Utilities realize that small businesses are integral to the economic health of the communities they serve,” Fitzpatrick said. “We encourage small businesses who have fallen behind on their bills to contact their utilities and work out a payment plan that fits their circumstances.”

Despite the various types of federal and state economic assistance programs enacted since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the amount of utility customer debt has increased significantly in Pennsylvania. The PUC imposed a moratorium on all service disconnections in March. In October, the PUC modified the moratorium to allow disconnections in some circumstances and put additional customer protections in place until spring of 2021, when it will reexamine the rules.