Duquesne Light drops late fees, expands payment assistance

More than 152,000 Duquesne Light customers will receive payment assistance on their electricity bills, the company announced Tuesday.

Duquesne Light is extending its discontinuation of shutoffs and is waiving late fees until at least June 1. The company also is expanding eligibility for its Hardship Fund, a payment assistance program, for the second time in recent weeks.

“Whether it’s due to job layoffs, business closures or increased expenses, we understand there are families who need support today, who just a few days or weeks ago did not need assistance paying their electric bill,” Chief Customer Officer David Johnson said in a statement.

Under the existing Hardship Fund plan, assistance was available only to customers with a household income at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). Now, customers can receive assistance if their income is at or below 250% of the FPL. The eased eligibility requirements will extend through the end of 2020.

The company estimates an additional 25,000 customers now qualify for the fund.

Other measures Duquesne Light took during the pandemic include a $500,000 contribution to the Pittsburgh Emergency Action Fund and an ongoing fundraiser among employees for the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, which has raised nearly $30,000 as of Tuesday.

Duquesne Light said it has increased inspections of equipment powering critical facilities like hospitals during the pandemic, and has reprioritized work to limit planned outages and interruptions to customer service.