CLEVELAND, Oct. 18, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Dominion
East Ohio reminds customers of the
various company payment plans and government energy assistance
programs that can help them stay warm this winter. Customers
who may not be able to afford their heating bills are urged to
contact Dominion East Ohio immediately to inquire about payment
plans and energy assistance programs. For additional
information, customers can call Dominion East Ohio at
1-800-362-7557, between 7 a.m. and 7
p.m., weekdays. Hearing-impaired customers with
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf can call 711.
For more information about payment plans and government energy
assistance programs, visit dom.com/ohiopaymentassistance.
Dominion East Ohio offers the
following payment options to residential and small commercial
customers (using less than 500 thousand cubic feet (MCF) a
year):
- Budget Billing allows customers to pay a fixed budget
amount each month, based on annual gas usage. Dominion East Ohio periodically reviews the budget
amount and adjusts it, if necessary, so that the customer will not
have a high balance or large credit at the end of the budget year.
Customers should call Dominion East Ohio for more information.
- Current-Plus Plan: Customers with a past-due balance pay
their current monthly bill, plus one-sixth of the total account
balance at the time they enroll in the plan.
- The One-Ninth Plan allows customers to pay one-ninth of
their total account balance each month plus a calculated budget
amount.
- Under the One-Third Winter Heating Plan, customers pay
one-third of their total account balance each month for bills that
include gas used from November 1,
2016, through April 15,
2017.
- Short–Term Extension grants up to five additional days
to pay before the next bill date.
- PIPP Plus: To qualify for this special payment plan, a
residential customer's yearly gross household income can be up to
150 percent of federal poverty guidelines. Under PIPP Plus,
participating customers may maintain their natural gas service by
paying 6 percent of their total gross monthly household income, or
$10, whichever is greater.
Winter Reconnection Order
All residential customers,
regardless of income, may avoid a shutoff or restore gas service
once during the heating season between now and April 14, 2017, by paying the lesser of:
- the entire past-due balance on your gas bill;
- the past-due payments if you are on a special payment plan;
or
- $175.
If service has been disconnected, a reconnect fee of
$33, plus applicable taxes, will be
billed to the account. Customers will be enrolled automatically in
the One-Ninth Payment Plan when using the Winter Reconnection Order
to help pay off any additional past-due balance. Customers may
select a different plan by calling Dominion East Ohio.
Government Assistance Programs
The following programs
are available for income-eligible customers. Customers can apply
for all programs with one application at www.energyhelp.ohio.gov,
which provides income guidelines as well. Applications also are
available at post offices and libraries or by calling the Ohio
Development Services Agency at 1-800-282-0880. Hearing-impaired
customers with Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf can call
711.
- Winter Crisis Program: This statewide program can
provide income-eligible households a one-time payment to help avoid
a shutoff or to restore service once between November 1, 2016, and March 31, 2017.
- Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides a
one-time heating bill credit during the winter heating season.
- Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) is a
federally funded program that provides grants for home
weatherization repairs to income-eligible households.
Local community action agencies can assist with emergency
payments to help avoid disconnection. You can find available
resources in your community -- dial 2-1-1 or visit
http://new.ouw.org/211-map.
Dominion East Ohio Assistance/Conservation Programs
- Dominion EnergyShare is a last-resort program after all
other state and federal assistance is exhausted. The Salvation Army
administers the Dominion-funded program. It is available to
Dominion East Ohio customers with a shut-off notice or who have
been disconnected. Applications can be made on or after
December 1. Customers should contact
their local Salvation Army Corps for more information or to
schedule an appointment.
- Dominion's Housewarming Program provides weatherization
assistance to help income-eligible customers reduce their energy
usage. For information, call the Cleveland Housing Network (CHN) at
1-888-377-3774.
- Dominion East Ohio's Home
Performance with ENERGY STAR (HPwES) Program through CLEAResult
has been designed to help our residential customers improve their
homes' energy efficiency. It all starts with a home energy
assessment. Whether customers are making energy-efficient
improvements to their current home or recently purchased a new
home, they can benefit from having a home energy assessment.
Rebates up to $1,250 are available
for eligible improvements. Visit www.deohpwes.com for more
information.
For more information about any program, visit www.dom.com or
call 1-800-362-7557, Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Hearing-impaired customers with
Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf can call 711.
About Dominion
Dominion (NYSE: D) is one of the
nation's largest producers and transporters of energy, with a
portfolio of approximately 25,700 megawatts of generation, 14,400
miles of natural gas transmission, gathering and storage pipeline,
and 6,500 miles of electric transmission lines. Dominion operates
one of the nation's largest natural gas storage systems with 1
trillion cubic feet of storage capacity and serves more than 6
million utility and retail energy customers. For more information
about Dominion, visit the company's website
at www.dom.com.
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SOURCE Dominion East Ohio