Periods of plummeting temperatures this winter led to surging power costs for consumers, compounded by rising costs for energy in general.
In response, Delmarva Power is extending some consumer support programs through March.
The utility, which provides power to some 342,000 electricity customers in the First State and 140,000 natural gas customers in New Castle County, offers a variety of programs for consumers struggling to pay their power bills.
“Our electric customers in Delaware - we saw a 40% increase in usage from December to November, and then another 23% increase from January as compared to December," said Zach Chizar, a spokesman for Delmarva Power.
He said the utility is extending some assistance programs they introduced this month through March.
“We announced no late payment fees through January and February, longer repayment periods, and we have suspended physical disconnections for service for non payment, and then waiving the deposits for disconnected customers who are seeking to restore service,” he said.
Chizar added customers should reach out to the utility any time they think they may not be able to pay their bill.
“We want to make sure that people are staying on top of that, reaching out to us. And so we can look at that - their bills and work with them and identify the best programs that might be available that they might be eligible for," he said.
Delmarva customers looking for assistance can visit delmarva.com/billsupport for more information.
