Extreme cold gripped the region last week, with temperatures dipping as low as 10 degrees and wind chills making it feel even colder. Overall, residents across the region experienced the coldest January in the past 10 years.

In advance of winter, PECO employees worked hard to ensure the company’s natural gas and electric systems were ready to meet the increased demand throughout the heating season. These efforts to ensure safe and reliable service paid off. This proactive effort includes infrastructure work to strengthen the local energy grid to help prevent outages that cannot be prevented and to reinforce the grid against the impacts of severe winter storms. 

PECO is investing approximately $9.3 billion during the next five years across its electric and natural gas systems to complete targeted system enhancements and corrective maintenance, invest in new equipment, inspect equipment, and perform enhanced tree trimming and other vegetation management. This investment includes PECO’s Reliability & Resiliency Plan, which outlines the investment of $1.36 billion on targeted reliability-focused electric system infrastructure investments through 2025.

“We are so proud of our dedicated employees who work tirelessly throughout the year to prepare the energy grid for these extreme conditions,” said Nicole LeVine, PECO’s Chief Operating Officer. “In the face of severe weather, our teams go above and beyond to ensure that our customers receive the reliable service they depend on.”

PECO experienced one of the highest usage days on record for winter electricity usage during the week of Jan. 20 and the second highest natural gas usage day on Jan. 21. As a result of year-round infrastructure investments, the company successfully met the demand for power during the cold snap, despite the challenging weather conditions.

Increased energy use during prolonged periods of cold temperatures can lead to higher bills. Customers will see the impact of cold weather and increased usage on their upcoming bill. Compared to December 2024, residential customers used approximately 55 percent more energy in January 2025. This consists of 12 percent more electricity and 43 percent more natural gas usage. 

PECO offers up resources for customers to better understand the various components of their bill and the factors that may lead to increases. Additionally, the company highlights various ways to lower energy usage to save money and take advantage of available financial assistance programs:

• Understand Your Bill: Each customer’s bill is unique and can vary from energy use, how energy efficient their home or business is, to their energy supplier. Customers can visit PECO Bill Support where they will find additional information on understanding their energy bill, rates, and more. 
• My Account: Through PECO’s MyAccount, customers can track their energy use, get customized tips on how to reduce energy costs, and learn which appliances use the most energy. Also, customers can choose to get alerts about their current usage and other factors that could be impacting their bill, such as the recent extreme cold.  
• Budget Billing: Budget billing makes short-term fluctuations in monthly bills easier to handle by dividing annual energy costs evenly throughout the year.
• Energy Assistance Programs: Energy efficiency programs, like energy assessments, can help customers save energy and money by identifying opportunities throughout a home. Learn more about PECO’s residential programs.
• Energy Saving Tips: By following a few simple tips and making straightforward energy efficiency improvements now, customers could save 20 percent or more on their winter heating bills. 

PECO has the highest customer assistance program participation in the state to help customers manage their energy bills. Income-qualified programs are available to help customers with past-due balance forgiveness, energy efficiency measures, hardship grants, and referrals for other services. The company also helps connect customers with programs that provide grant assistance for outstanding balances, like LIHEAP. Visit PECO for more information about assistance programs.