Company reminds those struggling with bills
that state programs are available
UNIONDALE, N.Y., Nov. 4, 2024
/PRNewswire/ -- As winter heating season approaches, PSEG Long
Island reminds customers that programs exist to help people
struggling with utility bills. There are also many ways they can
lower their bills by using energy wisely.
"While PSEG Long Island is not a provider of natural gas or
heating oil, we want all of our customers to be able to keep their
homes warm this winter," said Lou
DeBrino, PSEG Long Island's vice president of Customer
Operations. "To help customers manage their electricity expenses,
we offer resources, tips and a variety of energy efficiency
programs. There are also state programs that can help with heating
costs. We know some customers are struggling to pay bills, and we
encourage them to reach out to us to enroll in a deferred payment
agreement and learn about available financial assistance programs.
We're here to help."
Assistance available to those struggling with
bills
PSEG Long Island wants to work with any customer
struggling to pay their bills and help them find a solution. The
company encourages anyone with a past-due account balance to call
1-800-490-0025 so a representative can help them develop a deferred
payment agreement tailored to the needs of their household.
PSEG Long Island also offers its Residential Energy
Affordability Partnership Program, a free program for
income-eligible customers designed to help them save energy and
lower their energy bills. A REAP technician will visit a customer's
home to conduct a free home energy survey and may install
energy-saving measures. To learn more, visit
psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance/reap.
Additionally, PSEG Long Island wants to make customers aware of
the financial assistance programs offered by New York State:
- The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can
provide a heating fuel grant to eligible homeowners and renters
depending on income, household size and how they heat their home. A
family of four may have a maximum gross monthly income of
$6,390 and still qualify for
benefits. This benefit is scheduled to open on Nov. 1. For more information, visit
https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.
- Emergency HEAP, a subset of the HEAP program,
offers eligible customers a grant to help low- and
middle-income New Yorkers avoid having their home heating
disconnected or or if they are running low or are out of their
deliverable heat source (i.e. fuel oil, kerosene or propane). This
emergency portion of HEAP is scheduled to open on Jan. 2, 2025. If customers are experiencing an
emergency, they can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their
local Department of Social Services location, which can be found
here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/
- For low-income households facing no-heat situations, the State
Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is also accepting
applications for its heating equipment repair or
replacement benefit. Eligible homeowners can now apply for up
to $4,000 for repair or $8,000 for replacement of a furnace, boiler or
other direct heating equipment necessary to keep the household's
primary heating source working. Additionally, eligible households
can receive energy efficiency services, which includes the cleaning
of primary heating equipment to allow for its safe and efficient
operation. Customers can apply for this benefit by reaching out to
their local Department of Social Services location, which can be
found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/
Customers who apply for and receive one of these state or
federal benefits are automatically placed on PSEG Long Island's
Household Assistance Program, which provides a discount of
$40 or more a month on their electric
bill.
Customers who do not or cannot receive one of these state and
federal benefits can apply for the Household Assistance Program in
other ways. More information is available at
psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance/householdassistance
How customers can lower their bills
The most effective thing customers can to do lower their bills
is to use electricity more efficiently. Here are some helpful
tips:
- Seal windows and doorframes with weather
stripping or caulk, and remove or cover window air conditioners to
help to prevent drafts that waste energy and money.
- Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter.
Setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the
ceiling, pushing warm air down into a room.
- Lower your thermostat by just one degree to potentially
reduce your heating bill. Lowering it two degrees during the day
and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.
- Use a programmable thermostat to automatically manage
your home's heating and cooling needs. ENERGY STAR® estimates that
homes with high heating and cooling bills, as well as homes that
are unoccupied for much of the day, can save approximately
$100 a year with an ENERGY STAR
certified smart thermostat. In addition, PSEG Long Island offers
rebates on smart thermostats.
- Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED
bulbs since, according to the U.S. Department of Energy,
lighting accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in the
home, and LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times
longer.
- Install timers and motion detectors to automatically
manage indoor and outdoor lighting and help ensure lights are not
on when they're not needed.
- Reduce "phantom power" by using energy efficient power
strips or unplugging electronic devices when they're not in use.
Items plugged into outlets use electricity even when they're turned
off.
- Customers on Time-of-Day rates can run the dishwasher,
clothes dryer and other high-energy-use appliances outside of peak
hours.
- Customers on Time-of-Day rates can charge electric
vehicles to run outside of peak hours.
- Install a high efficiency air source heat pump (ASHP) to
lower energy usage, save money and provide greater comfort in cold
and hot months. Rebates are available from PSEG Long
Island's Home Comfort Program for ducted ASHP units and ductless
mini split systems. Additionally, PSEG Long Island's Home Comfort
Plus program offers enhanced rebates for customers who meet certain
income qualifications.
More money-saving ideas and rebate information are
available
at psegliny.com/saveenergyandmoney/energystarrebates.
PSEG Long Island
PSEG Long Island operates
the Long Island Power Authority's transmission and distribution
system under a long-term contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary
of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a
publicly traded diversified energy company.
Visit PSEG Long Island
at:
psegliny.com
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Long Island on X (formerly Twitter)
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LinkedIn
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Island on Flickr
Contact: Media Relations Pager
516.229.7248
mediarelationsLI@pseg.com
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SOURCE PSEG Long Island