CAP Program Phone Numbers in PA: Electric, Gas, Water, LIHEAP

Pennsylvania’s Customer Assistance Program is run separately by each utility, so there is no single statewide CAP phone number — the number you need depends on who supplies your electricity, gas, or water. Below are the direct CAP program phone numbers for Pennsylvania’s major utilities, followed by what to have ready when you call and who qualifies.

Electric Utility CAP Phone Numbers

The FirstEnergy family of companies does not share one number. Met-Ed and Penelec share a line, but Penn Power and West Penn Power each have their own.

Gas Utility CAP Phone Numbers

  • Philadelphia Gas Works (Customer Responsibility Program): 215-235-10004Philadelphia Gas Works. Customer Responsibility Program
  • Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania: 1-800-537-7431
  • Peoples Natural Gas: 1-800-400-9276
  • National Fuel Gas: 1-800-365-32345National Fuel. Payment Assistance Programs
  • UGI Utilities: 1-800-276-2722

If your electric and gas service come from different companies, call both. You can be enrolled in CAP with each.

Water Utility CAP Phone Numbers

Philadelphia water customers have a separate program through the city. If your utility is not listed, call the customer service number on your bill and ask for the customer assistance or universal services department. Every regulated Pennsylvania utility is required by law to offer one of these programs.

What to Have Ready Before You Call

A few minutes of prep saves a callback later. For each adult in the household, pull together:

If what you report on the application does not match your documents, expect delays.

Who Qualifies in 2026

Most Pennsylvania CAP programs cap eligibility at 150% of the Federal Poverty Level, which is updated annually by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.10HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines – 48 Contiguous States For 2026, the gross annual household income limits are:

  • 1 person: $23,940
  • 2 people: $32,460
  • 3 people: $40,980
  • 4 people: $49,500
  • 5 people: $58,020
  • 6 people: $66,540

Count all income, from all sources, for every person living in the home. Households well below the cap generally receive the deepest discounts, so apply even if you only clear the threshold by a small margin.

What CAP Changes on Your Bill

CAP is not a flat percentage off. It replaces your normal bill with a monthly amount set as a share of your household income, no matter how much energy you use that month. This structure is called a Percentage of Income Payment Plan.2Duquesne Light Company. Customer Assistance Program The exact percentage varies by utility and by how far your income sits below the poverty line.

Past-due balances get set aside rather than erased. As long as you make your reduced CAP payment on time each month, the utility gradually forgives portions of the old debt, and most programs clear the full pre-enrollment balance over the life of your participation. Miss payments and the forgiveness stops.

Staying Enrolled

CAP is not permanent once you’re in. You have to recertify your income and household each year to keep the discount.11Dollar Energy Fund. FirstEnergy Pennsylvania Customer Assistance Program Your utility will reach out when it’s time, and some now handle it by text or online rather than paper. Skip the recertification and you get moved back to standard billing.

Missed CAP payments carry weight. The utility can freeze or reverse your arrearage forgiveness and remove you from the program. Getting back in means reapplying from scratch. If you know a payment is going to be short, call before the due date rather than after. Representatives have more room to help when you reach out first.

Apply for LIHEAP at the Same Time

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a separate federal benefit that stacks on top of CAP. LIHEAP sends a one-time cash grant directly to your utility and credits it to your account.12Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) For the 2025-2026 season, grants run from $200 to $1,000 depending on household size, income, and fuel type. Separate crisis grants cover emergencies like an active shutoff notice or a broken furnace.

LIHEAP uses the same 150% poverty income limits as CAP.13Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Apply for Home Heating and Energy Assistance If you qualify for one, you almost certainly qualify for the other. A LIHEAP grant posted while you are paying a reduced CAP amount can carry you for several months.

Winter Shutoff Protection

Pennsylvania law bars electric, gas, and water utilities from shutting off service between December 1 and March 31 for households at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level.14Pennsylvania Code and Bulletin. 52 Pa. Code 56.100 That ceiling is well above the CAP income limit, so plenty of households that do not qualify for CAP still have winter protection. It is not automatic for everyone — if you get a termination notice in winter, you may have to show your income to invoke it. CAP participants are covered by default because their income is already on file. The moratorium ends April 1, so if you are carrying an unpaid balance into spring, contact your utility about a payment arrangement before shutoff season starts.

If a utility refuses to accept your CAP application or appears to be running its program improperly, complaints go to the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission at 1-800-692-7380.