When an 82-Year-Old Veteran Lost Power, This PECO Employee Stepped In

The torn, handwritten letter was addressed to no one. It arrived in PECO’s Center City office and ended up on the 14^th floor, where the Community Engagement department is located.

The writer, an 82-year-old veteran living in North Philadelphia, explained that her electricity had been disconnected, and she was trying to pay her bill. Her phone service has been disconnected too, leaving her with few options for reaching out for help.

When the note landed in Lauren Fielder’s hand, she immediately thought about what she would want someone to do if her own grandmother were in the same situation.

“I wanted to make sure she had everything she needed,” said Fielder, a community impact specialist.

Questions started running through Fielder’s mind. Did she need dinner? Groceries? If her power was off, that meant her refrigerator was off. What else could she bring her?

Fielder gathered information about PECO assistance programs, grabbed extra supplies and drove to the customer’s home. No one answered the door, so Fielder left a handwritten note of her own, along with the application for PECO’s Customer Assistance Program (CAP). It allows eligible low-income, first-time enrollees to have their past-due balance forgiven and puts them on a payment plan for future bills based on a percentage of their total household income.

Fielder wrote her personal cell phone number in the letter. Less than two weeks later, she received another handwritten letter from the customer, this time addressed directly to her.

The customer included her phone number in the letter and said her power had been turned back on.

“I instantly called her,” Fielder said. “That started the conversation that really just kept on going. I check on her periodically now.”

Every week, Fielder helps customers navigate energy assistance programs, payment options and community resources. She visits assisted living facilities, community centers and schools on a regular basis. She plays bingo at senior centers, talks with students at community colleges, and holds virtual office hours. Her goal is to educate customers about PECO’s customer assistance programs and share information about saving money on bills. Fielder knows that behind every request for help is a person with a story who is facing a challenge.

“People are scared. And that can stop them from contacting us. That can stop them from completing the process,” she said. “A lot of times you may have people who may not have ever called PECO; they’re just avoiding it because they just don’t know what to do and they are spiraling.”

Fielder often feels like a therapist, deescalating customers’ emotions and listening to their stories. She’s cried on the phone with customers who she’s helped receive financial relief.

“Any interaction I have with a customer is always judgment-free,” she said. “People want to be heard. And people want to be respected. And the best thing I could do is listen to what you’re going through, give you some solutions.”

Fielder said she feels like the universe put her in community engagement; it’s what she was meant to do.

“I’ve found my voice, where I can connect on a personal level,” she said. “It doesn’t feel stuffy, doesn’t feel corporate. It just feels natural.”

This article was written by Marie Albiges, Senior Communications Specialist, Exelon and was originally featured in The Grid, a blog site for Exelon.