“My electric is going to be shut off tomorrow”, “My gas company sent me a 10 day notice”, “I tried to work out a payment plan”, “My (utility) supplier won’t work with me” are all frequent frantic calls we receive from local residents. Our office can provide assistance in delaying or resolving a utility shut off from occurring. First, we will start with available options to avoid a shut off notice.
Generally, electric, gas and some water companies will have customer assistance programs (CAP). For example, local electric distributors West Penn Power, Penelec, and Duquesne Light can be contacted prior to a shut off notice and these assistance programs can be explored. A second option, if a CAP is not available, would be to set up a budget payment plan. This will allow you to have the same estimated monthly payment throughout the entire year.
If you have received a Shut-Off Notice it is important to take quick action. You generally only have ten (10) days to resolve the issue. You can do the following actions:
1. Call the supplier and ask to set up a payment plan;
2. Dispute the bill if you believe you have received the shut-off notice in error; or
3. File bankruptcy.
Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 Bankruptcy can stop a utility shut-off. Whether it is the gas or electric company, a bankruptcy in many cases can discharge the past due utility bill and stop the shut off. Our team moves quickly and can file an emergency bankruptcy if necessary. Our team knows how stressful a utility shut off can be. We have three convenient office locations so we can meet quickly to ease your stress. If you would like a free consult you can meet with our team at our offices in Latrobe, Greensburg, and Johnstown.