Editing Philadelphia Gas Works (section)

== Operations ==

PGW delivers natural gas through a distribution network spanning the entire City of Philadelphia. The system includes thousands of miles of mains and service lines connecting to customer premises. Gas enters the system from interstate pipelines, with PGW managing local distribution rather than production or long-distance transmission.<ref name="pgw"/>

The utility serves residential customers for heating, cooking, and hot water; commercial customers for similar purposes plus specialized industrial applications; and large industrial customers with significant gas requirements. Heating represents the dominant use, making the winter months the period of peak demand and operational focus.<ref name="pgw"/>

Customer service functions include billing, payment processing, and responding to service requests and emergencies. Low-income assistance programs, more extensive than typical investor-owned utilities, reflect the municipal utility's social mission. The Customer Responsibility Program and other initiatives help customers facing difficulty paying bills, though concerns about energy affordability persist given heating cost burdens on low-income households.<ref name="pgw"/>