News Releases

PPL Electric Utilities is pitching in to help the communities it serves weather the arctic start to 2014 by pledging $250,000 to its Operation HELP hardship fund and $50,000 to be shared among various food banks.

“This winter has been brutal for everyone, but especially for lower-income households that also are dealing with higher utility bills because of the unrelenting cold,” said Tim Dahl, manager, Regulatory Programs and Business Services for the utility. “We know the need for Operation HELP will increase because of this weather. Helping food banks can help families stretch their budgets even further.”

The newly announced funding will augment the current $1.45 million that goes to Operation HELP from a combination of sources — PPL Corporation, customers and employees. The fund, established in 1983, provides emergency financial aid to pay heating bills for families with financial hardships.

For information on all of the utility’s payment assistance programs, visit www.pplelectric.com/billhelp.

Electric demand for January was the highest ever monthly total for the utility at 4.3 billion kilowatt-hours. That’s enough electricity for more than 347,000 average homes for a year. The January demand also was nearly 8 percent above the average for January in the previous five years (2009-2013).

“Federal energy assistance funding is down and demand is up, so this increase will help to fill that void,” Dahl said. “Increasing the amount of money available to income-eligible customers through Operation HELP is the right thing to do, and it will help more than 800 customers with heating costs and heating emergencies. Our food bank donations will help at-risk families.”

PPL Electric Utilities has a long history of helping customers in need. “We believe in giving back to the communities we serve,” Dahl said. “We’re part of these places. Our employees are proud to live here and volunteer here.”

PPL Electric Utilities, a subsidiary of PPL Corporation (NYSE: PPL), provides electric delivery services to about 1.4 million customers in Pennsylvania and has consistently ranked among the best companies for customer service in the United States. More information is available at www.pplelectric.com.