(Philadelphia, PA – May 12, 2006) – With the end of the heating season, the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) is stepping up efforts to collect from customers who are past due on their gas bills and have not made any payment arrangements.

Customers who are having problems keeping up with their bill payments are urged to contact PGW as soon as possible to avoid shutoff and expensive reconnection fees.

PGW’s collection policies require upfront deposits, a reconnection charge of $123.23, and immediate payments of up to 100 percent of a past-due bill. An additional fee of $372 is required if it is necessary to dig outside of a property to shut off the gas service. Even after being approved to have service restored, it could take up to seven days before the gas is turned on.

Also, in situations where customers refuse to pay their bills, PGW is placing liens on their properties. PGW provides all customer payment histories to credit reporting services.

To prevent shut off, customers who are having problems paying their bills, should contact PGW at 215-235-1777 or visit one of PGW’s neighborhood Customer Service Centers to make a payment arrangement. Customers may also pay online on PGW’s Web site at www.pgworks.com.

Founded in 1836, PGW is the nation’s largest municipally owned natural gas utility, serving more than a half million residential, commercial, and industrial customers in the City of Philadelphia.