Residents, advocates press utilities over confusing bills and shutoff notices

A single mother from North Philadelphia told City Council she faces repeated shut-off notices and confusing bills from her supplier, often finding payments applied to old balances while current charges remained unpaid.

"The bill is extremely high, more than $700 like each month," Ashley Kohls said, describing a payment arrangement that directed funds to a back bill and left her current bill unpaid. She said calls to the supplier were frequently dropped and that caps on assistance (CLS cited a $3,000 cap) left her ineligible for some aid.

Community Legal Services and other advocates told the committees that many eligible households are not enrolled in low-income programs (CAP/CRP) and that administrative friction and privacy rules limit efficient enrollment. Attorneys urged the city to invest in expert representation in upcoming rate cases, and to press for streamlined data-sharing so households screened or enrolled for one assistance program can be automatically routed into utility protections.

Why it matters: Multiple witnesses and council members emphasized that the fastest way to lessen harm is to make sure existing programs reach eligible people — through better outreach, coordinated intake, and by removing administrative barriers to enrollment. Advocates and some council members recommended automatic or opt-out enrollment for programs tied to documented eligibility in other city/state benefit systems.

What residents asked for: clearer billing explanations, more responsive customer service, expedited enrollment options tied to existing benefit determinations, and stronger enforcement of fair billing and shutoff protections.

Next steps: Council members requested enrollment counts and cost estimates for a coordinated intake approach and signaled interest in legislation or administrative action that would improve automatic enrollment and data-sharing consent workflows.