Title
Authorizing the Committee on Transportation and Public Utilities to hold hearings examining Philadelphia Gas Works’ residential shutoffs for nonpayment and measures to prevent households from losing essential utility service.
Body
WHEREAS, Access to affordable gas service is essential to the health and safety of Philadelphia residents, particularly households that rely on natural gas to heat their homes; and
WHEREAS, According to records obtained by The Philadelphia Tribune, Philadelphia Gas Works (“PGW”) disconnected 29,388 residential customers for nonpayment from April through August 2026, compared with 21,176 during the same period in 2025, an increase of nearly 39 percent; and
WHEREAS, The number of residential shutoffs recorded through August 2026 nearly matched the 29,810 shutoffs recorded during the entire April-through-November period in 2025, raising serious concerns about the growing number of households losing service; and
WHEREAS, PGW residential customers carried approximately $161.7 million in unpaid gas bills in May 2026, compared with $146.9 million in May 2025, reflecting an increase of approximately 10 percent; and
WHEREAS, Philadelphia’s Cost of Living Task Force has identified utility costs as an often-overlooked component of the City’s affordability crisis, with households struggling to pay energy bills while meeting other essential expenses; and
WHEREAS, These burdens fall unevenly across Philadelphia, and the City’s Energy Poverty Alleviation Strategy found that the median energy burden for Black households was 53 percent higher than for non-Hispanic white households; and
WHEREAS, Application and recertification requirements can prevent eligible households from receiving assistance, while language barriers and lack of awareness further limit participation; and
WHEREAS, PGW and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services have established data-sharing efforts to simplify enrollment and recertification, but some eligible cust...
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