- Financial assistance and energy-saving tips and tools are
available to help customers manage seasonal bills
- VIDEO: Factors that contribute to customers' natural gas
bills
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 12,
2024 /PRNewswire/ -- As winter weather and
below-freezing temperatures move across the Southeast, Piedmont
Natural Gas is reminding customers of tips and resources that can
help them manage their home energy use and, in turn, save money on
their energy bills.
Higher energy consumption related to colder temperatures is the
largest contributor to increases in the average household's
home-heating expenditures during the winter months. A video
explaining the factors that contribute to customers' natural gas
bills is available on Piedmont's
website.
"The downward trend in the cost of natural gas has allowed
Piedmont to provide some relief
during the winter months, when increased usage driven by colder
temperatures often results in higher bills," said Sasha Weintraub, senior vice president and
president of Piedmont Natural Gas.
"Even with these cost reductions, some customers may continue to
struggle with paying their monthly bills or may just be looking for
opportunities to keep their expenses down. Piedmont remains committed to being a resource
for our customers, from helping them take steps to lower their
natural gas bill to offering payment assistance programs,"
Weintraub added.
Low- to no-cost energy-saving tips and
projects
Natural gas use typically spikes in the winter as
customers combat low temperatures to stay warm. Below are tips to
help manage your energy use when temperatures decline. B-roll of
energy-efficiency measures is available here.
- Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting to help
save. Installing a "smart" or programmable thermostat will also
help reduce your energy use while you are asleep or away.
- Leave drapes or blinds open during sunny winter days to allow
the sun to warm the house. Close drapes and blinds at night, to
help insulate your home as windows can allow heat to escape.
- Change air filters regularly. A dirty air filter makes a
heating system work harder, which uses more energy.
- Manage your water heating temperature. Set your water heater
temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or consider installing an
on-demand or tankless water heater that only heats water when you
need it.
- Seal air ducts. Make sure the air ducts from your home's
furnace and central air conditioner are properly sealed. Ducts that
leak into the attic or crawl space can substantially increase your
heating and cooling bills.
- Seal your home. One of the quickest energy-saving tasks you can
do is caulk, seal and weatherstrip all seams, cracks and openings
to the outside. This can save 10% to 20% on your heating and
cooling bills.
- Consider insulation. Consider whether you need to add
insulation to your ceilings, floors and walls. Insulation between
the indoors and outdoors reduces energy demand, saving you money
while improving the comfort of your home.
Level out your bill with the Equal Payment Plan (EPP)
program
This free service helps customers manage their
budgets by eliminating high winter bills. The EPP program levels
out a customer's natural gas bills, allowing them to pay a
predictable, equal monthly amount to help avoid billing surprises.
Piedmont determines this payment
by adding up a customer's annual natural gas usage and then
dividing it into the same payment amount each month. Learn
more here.
Energy-saving tools
Piedmont Natural Gas also offers a
variety of energy-saving tools to help customers and our
communities identify ways to save money and energy all year long.
These programs and tools help customers understand what factors are
impacting their natural gas bills and emphasize specific actions
they can take to prepare and reduce the impacts of high winter
usage.
Assistance for customers in need
Share the
Warmth provides funds to local agencies to assist families
with their utility bills, no matter the source of energy they use.
Contact information for approved assistance agencies across
Piedmont's service area is
available at piedmontng.com/ShareTheWarmth.
The Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) provides winter
heating assistance to pay for natural gas, electric and other
methods customers use to heat their homes. There are many customers
who are eligible but do not apply for this annual federal benefit
that can reduce winter heating costs for low-income families.
Piedmont says anyone in need
should apply for this and other newly available programs to see if
they qualify. For detailed federal and state-specific information,
go to piedmontng.com/WinterBills and click on your state.
Piedmont Natural Gas
Piedmont Natural Gas, a
subsidiary of Duke Energy, distributes natural gas to more than 1.1
million residential, commercial, industrial and power generation
customers in North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee. Piedmont Natural Gas earned the No.
1 spot in customer satisfaction with residential natural gas
service in the South among large utilities for the second year in a
row, according to the J.D. Power 2023 U.S. Gas Utility Residential
Customer Satisfaction Study, and has been named by Cogent Reports
as one of the most trusted utility brands in the U.S. More
information: piedmontng.com. Follow Piedmont Natural Gas: Twitter,
Facebook.
Duke Energy (NYSE: DUK), a Fortune 150 company headquartered in
Charlotte, N.C., is one of
America's largest energy holding companies. Its electric utilities
serve 8.2 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Florida, Indiana, Ohio
and Kentucky, and collectively own
50,000 megawatts of energy capacity. Its natural gas unit serves
1.6 million customers in North
Carolina, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Ohio and Kentucky. The company employs 27,600
people.
Duke Energy is executing an aggressive clean energy transition
to achieve its goals of net-zero methane emissions from its natural
gas business by 2030 and net-zero carbon emissions from electricity
generation by 2050. The company has interim carbon emission targets
of at least 50% reduction from electric generation by 2030, 50% for
Scope 2 and certain Scope 3 upstream and downstream emissions by
2035, and 80% from electric generation by 2040. In addition, the
company is investing in major electric grid enhancements and energy
storage, and exploring zero-emission power generation technologies
such as hydrogen and advanced nuclear.
Duke Energy was named to Fortune's 2023 "World's Most Admired
Companies" list and Forbes' "World's Best Employers" list. More
information is available at duke-energy.com. The Duke
Energy News Center contains news releases, fact sheets, photos
and videos. Duke Energy's illumination features stories
about people, innovations, community topics and environmental
issues. Follow Duke Energy
on Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and Facebook.
Media contact: Jason Wheatley
Media Line: 877.348.3612
jason.wheatley@duke-energy.com
Twitter: @PNG_JasonW
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SOURCE Piedmont Natural Gas