In summer 2021, Philadelphians in the Hunting Park neighborhood, which faces the highest heat index in the city, cooled off in a fire hydrant.Pennsylvania and New Jersey residents can expect to pay about 12% more to keep their homes cool this summer, according to a new report.
The report, released Monday, included projections from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, which represents the state directors of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and the Center on Energy Poverty and Climate, which does research and recommends policy changes that would help low-income households stay cool amid rising temperatures.
But a spokesperson for Peco, which serves more than 1.2 million residential customers in Southeastern Pennsylvania, said customers this summer will pay between $135 and $188 a month on average, down slightly from a range of $137 to $191 last summer for the same usage. Peco’s supply rate dropped slightly in June, noted spokesperson Greg Smore, and will not be readjusted again until September.
While summer electric bills in the Mid-Atlantic are projected to be a bit lower than the national average, this region as a whole is expected to see a larger percentage increase this summer than the country as a whole, according to the report. It is only one of three areas expected to see a double-digit increase. The others are the East South Central region and the Pacific Coast.