Image: Logo for PECO Electric Company
PECO Medical Certification Waiver, or DON'T LET THIS HAPPEN TO YOU!
by Gail K. Kachnycz on August 1, 2025
This past Saturday, during the fourth hottest July on record in Philadelphia, I opened a letter from PECO that said: TEN DAY SHUT OFF NOTICE. Of course, the first thing I did was panic, and there followed a series of unfortunate events which were extremely frustrating. Long story short, our electric service has continued uninterrupted, and we are enjoying air conditioned cool in our house, but I would like to spare you a similar scenario by sharing my experience.
The initial pebble in the pond that began this downward spiral was a breech in our bank account in early May. Thousands of dollars were transferred out of our account. The bank froze all of our accounts for three weeks while a fraud investigation took place. Thankfully, all funds were restored. A friend at church who works in finance told me, "That doesn't always happen. God had your back!" Indeed. We thank God for His favor and grace to us in this situation. After three weeks, the bank advised us to open new accounts. We transferred all funds to the new accounts. However, our Social Security was still being deposited into the old checking account, so we still had to maintain that account until arrangements could be made to change the deposits (this takes about 2 months).
We had bank cards for the new accounts within 24 hours. I began making calls to all the services and utilities to catch up on payments that came due while our accounts were frozen. The general number for PECO was answered by "AI Lady," that is, an automated menu. I selected "Billing" and paid using the new bank card. The automated menu offered the option: "Save this card for future payments?" I said "Yes." So, when a statement from PECO came that noted, "Automatic Payment Deducted on 7/17/2025" I thought the new bank card was used. Therefore, it was a shock when the shut-off letter arrived July 26. Apparently, PECO kept trying to take payments from the "old" checking account which was frozen.
The shut-off letter included a statement that electricity would not be shut off if "you or anyone presently and normally living in your home is seriously ill," but certain requirements had to be fulfilled for this type of waiver. The letter listed steps to take, such as having the doctor call and then send a letter. My friend Donna works in a Cardiology practice, and told me an easier way to do this:
1. Have these ready: the PECO account information, the patient's information, and the name of the practice, the doctor's name, and fax number.
2. Pack your patience. I was on hold for 45 minutes. Fold laundry or do something you can drop as soon as the service rep answers. The business hours are Monday-Friday, 7 AM-7 PM, but recorded message says there is high volume of calls Mondays and 11 AM-2 PM Tuesday to Friday, so long waits then.
3. Call 1-888-480-1533. This connects you directly to the Credit Department, who handles the waivers. This is not the general PECO number.
4. State that you need a "Medical Certification Form" to be faxed to the doctor's office.
5. They may ask for the patient's name and address. Also give them the doctor's name and fax number. Ask for the PECO fax number in case the doctor's office does not have it on file.
6. Check if there is a confirmation number for your request/conversation.
7. Contact the doctor's office to alert them that the PECO Medical Certification form is being faxed from PECO.
The Medical Certification gives a window of 30 days. During that time, the electricity will not be shut off. Meanwhile, the reason for the shut-off can be addressed.
Finally, I hope your bank account is never hacked. If you do have to stop your automatic payments, don't trust "AI Lady." Be sure to speak with a real person. Stop the deductions from the old account, and then ask about the process to start automatic payments using your new account.
Trying to stop automatic payments
