Pepco’s Customer Base Rate Credit to Expire This Week. Residential Bills to Go Up
Consumer Alert
Pepco's Customer Base Rate Credit to Expire This Week Residential Bills to Go Up
The Office of the People’s Counsel for the District of Columbia is alerting Pepco consumers that electric bills are going up as the Customer Base Rate Credit (CBRC) will expire this week.
The CBRC is a benefit OPC won for residential consumers as part of the Pepco-Exelon merger settlement. The CBRC has been used to offset rate increases in the distribution portion of residential bills for the last 5 years. The net savings to consumers over the 5-year period is $25.6 million. However, since credit funds have been exhausted, Pepco is adjusting customer bills to reflect an immediate increase. That means the average residential bill will increase about $1.37 a month in the upcoming billing cycle.
OPC recognizes that a higher electric bill can be a financial burden to households struggling from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, since the start of the crisis, OPC has urged consumers to take advantage of relief programs and payment plans. Currently, the District's public health emergency declaration prohibits utilities from disconnecting service due to non-payment. Nonetheless, OPC encourages consumers to pay what they can now, find out if they are eligible for utility financial assistance programs, and sign up for bill payment plans, so their bills won't be out of control when the moratoriums are lifted.
To learn more about bill payment assistance, contact OPC at (202) 727-3071 or info@opc-dc.gov
