Households without heat on rise in Pennsylvania
HARRISBURG (AP) – Pennsylvania’s utility regulators say that a survey shows that the number of households entering winter without heat-related utility service almost doubled since 2003.
The Public Utility Commission said last week that its survey shows that about 23,213 households didn’t have heat-related utility service. The utility commission says that’s up from 12,000 in 2003 and 19,653 last year.
It also says some households may be counted twice, because they are without both electric and natural gas service.
It says another 1,959 residences are using potentially unsafe heating sources because of a utility service termination, bringing the total homes not using a central-heating system to 25,172.
About 5,700 of those households are in PECO’s electric territory, while 10,000 are in Philadelphia Gas Works’ territory.