Help Paying a Met-Ed Electric Bill From Dollar Energy Fund
Dollar Energy Fund's Pennsylvania Hardship Program gives one-time assistance grants that are applied directly to the utility bill of FirstEnergy customers. The partnering FirstEnergy companies are Met-Ed, Penelec, Penn Power and West Penn Power, so Met-Ed customers in Berks County can use it. Funding is available on a first come, first serve basis, and eligibility requirements vary based on the utility company. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
When you can apply depends on the condition of your service. The program is open from October 1 through November 30 for services that are off or in threat of termination; from December 1 through January 31 for services that are off only; and from February 1 through February 28 for services that are off or in threat of termination. Starting March 1, the program is open to all eligible applicants regardless of service status.
Your total gross household income must be at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines. Count before-tax income for everyone in the home, including minors. Minor income includes child support, SS and DPA cash assistance, but does not include wages. To see where your income falls, use the Income Calculator at dollarenergy.org/income-calculator; there is also an eligibility tool at dollarenergy.org/program-quiz.
Other rules:
- You must have paid at least $150 on the account in the past three months, or at least $100 if you are a senior citizen age 62 and over. Exceptions may be made in cases of extreme hardships.
- You must have an outstanding balance on the utility bill of at least $100. Senior citizens age 62 and over may have a $0 balance as long as there is no existing credit on the account.
- The account must be residential, a single home or apartment. No "cooking only", commercial, industrial, or apartments with shared utility service.
- The name on the account must be that of an adult who is currently living in the home.
- If you are eligible and those programs are open, you must apply for LIHEAP and CRISIS before applying for the Hardship Program.
- FirstEnergy customers with a total household income of 150% or below the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines must inquire about FirstEnergy's PCAP program before applying for a grant. PCAP customers may be eligible to receive a grant, pending utility company review.
The maximum grant is $600, and you can receive only one grant per utility, per program year, which runs October 1 through September 30. Grant awards are based on need and each family's circumstances are different, so amounts are determined on a case-to-case basis. If your service is off or in threat of termination when you apply and the maximum grant will not restore service or stop the termination, the application will be denied; the amount needed is determined by utility review, and you will be notified that an additional payment is required in order to be considered for assistance. The grant cannot be used to cover security deposits, but it can be used to pay reconnection fees.
There are two ways to apply. You can apply online through Dollar Energy Fund's MyApp Connect at myappconnect.com, where you apply and upload your documents in one place. Or you can apply in person through the network of community-based agencies that provide application intake services; find an agency in your area with the Agency Finder at hardshiptools.org/AgencyFinder.aspx and schedule an appointment with the one most convenient for you.
Two attachments are required with every application:
- Verification of income, or proof of a LIHEAP or Crisis application when those programs are open.
- A copy of the most recent utility bill with proof of minimum payment.
The list of acceptable proof of income documents is at dollarenergy.org/income. Before starting an online application it helps to gather your most recent utility bill, the names and dates of birth of everyone living in your home, and income documents from the most recent 30 days for all household members. You can check the status of your application at any time through MyStatus at hardshiptools.org/mystatus; have your utility account number available.
For general questions, Dollar Energy Fund's utility assistance number is 1-888-282-6816 and its administrative number is (412) 431-2800. Mail goes to Dollar Energy Fund, Inc., P.O. Box 42329, Pittsburgh, PA 15203-0329. The page does not give hours for these numbers, and the organization notes it is currently experiencing a higher than normal call volume. Program information is also published in Spanish, Mandarin and Vietnamese.
Source: dollarenergy.org/program/firstenergy-pennsylvania-hardshi…, read November 3, 2026.
The details
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Open from February 1 through February 28, for services that are off or in threat of termination. Starting March 1, the program is open to all eligible applicants regardless of service status. Customers of FirstEnergy with a total household income of 150% or below the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines must inquire about FirstEnergy’s PCAP program before applying for a grant. FirstEnergy PCAP customers may be eligible to receive a grant, pending utility company review. Sincere Effort of Payment Applicants must have paid at least $150 on their accounts in the past three months. Senior Citizens , age 62 and over, must have paid at least $100 on their accounts. Exceptions may be made in cases of extreme hardships. Balance Requirement Applicants must have an outstanding balance on their utility bill of at least $100 . Senior Citizens , age 62 and over, may have a $0 balance as long as there is no existing credit on the account. Maximum Grant The maximum grant amount an applicant may receive is $600. Applicants can only receive one grant per utility, per program year. (10/1 – 9/30) Grant awards are based on need and each family’s circumstances are different. Grant amounts are determined on a case-to-case basis. If a customer’s utility service is off or in threat of termination when they apply and the maximum grant amount will not restore service or stop termination, the application will be denied. The amount needed to restore service or stop a termination is determined by utility review. Notification will be sent to the customer advising them that their application was denied and that an additional payment is required in order to be considered for assistance. Additional Guidelines Account must be residential, single home or apartment. No “cooking only”, commercial, industrial, or apartments with shared utility service. Name on account must be that of an adult who is currently living in the home. Dollar Energy Fund grants cannot be used to cover security deposits. The grant can be used to pay reconnection fees. Income Guidelines Total gross household income must be at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines . Use our Income Calculator to find out if your gross (before tax) income is within the range of eligibility for the program. Household income should be calculated using the before tax amount for all household members, including minors. Minor income includes child support, SS, and DPA cash assistance, but does not include wages.
- A copy of the most recent utility bill with proof of minimum payment must be attached to all applications.
In Dollar Energy Fund’s words
Dollar Energy Fund’s Pennsylvania Hardship Program provides one-time assistance grants to FirstEnergy customers that are applied directly to their utility bill. Funding is available on a first come, first serve basis and eligibility requirements vary based on the utility company. Program guidelines and eligibility requirements are subject to change.
En español: la página del proveedor →
Organization
Dollar Energy Fund
About this listing
This listing summarizes publicly available information from dollarenergy.org/program/firstenergy-pennsylvania-hardshi…. Last recorded review: November 3, 2026. Contact the provider to confirm eligibility, hours and availability before you go. If something here is wrong, tell us.