Dominion East Ohio Reminds Customers Of Emergency Home Energy Assistance, Reconnect & Payment Programs For Winter Heating Help
Applications are now being accepted for the Emergency Home
Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP), which provides a one-time emergency payment
of up to $175 either to avoid a shutoff or restore gas service for income-eligible
customers.
Applications for E-HEAP will be accepted through March 31,
2004. Call for an application by contacting the state HEAP office's toll-free
number: 1-800-282-0880, or download an application at the Ohio Department of
Development Web site. Go to http://www.odod.state.oh.us,
then click the "Communities/Agencies" button near the top of the screen,
then click "Utility Payment Assistance."
In addition to E-HEAP, a special winter heating reconnection
procedure is available to help any Dominion residential customer avoid a shutoff
or to turn gas service back on by paying the amount they owe Dominion, not to
exceed $175. For more information, call Dominion at 1-800-362-7557. Customers
can use the reconnection procedure or E-HEAP only once during a heating season.
Dominion East Ohio reminds all of its customers of the availability
of various energy assistance programs and payment options to help with upcoming
winter heating bills, or past-due balances.
Budget Billing
With the Budget Payment Plan, a customer pays a fixed budget amount each
month. Dominion East Ohio will review a customer's budget amount in February,
June and October, and adjust it, if necessary, so that the customer won't
have a high bill or large credit at the end of the budget year. Customers
must be current with their bill to be eligible for the budget billing option.
To sign up, customers should call Dominion East Ohio at 1-800-362-7557.
Payment Plans
For a customer with a past-due balance of $100 or more, Dominion East Ohio offers
the Current-Plus Plan to help better manage gas bills. First, the customer
decides how many months—up to six—it will take to pay off their balance.
Then the company divides the current account balance by the number of months
the customer selected, and adds that amount to the customer's current monthly
bill. The Current-Plus Plan is available to all residential customers. To learn
more about payment options or the Current-Plus Plan, call Dominion East Ohio
at 1-800-362-7557.
Government Assistance Programs
Customers can apply for Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), Home Energy
Assistance Program (HEAP), Emergency HEAP and Weatherization Assistance on a
combined application. The form is available at post offices, libraries, by calling
the State of Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880, or by downloading its Web site
at http://www.odod.state.oh.us.
The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides
a credit that is applied to a customer's heating bill. To qualify, a customer's
yearly gross household income can be up to $13,470 for one person; $18,180 for
two people; $22,890 for three; $27,600 for four; $32,310 for five and $37,020
for six. Add $4,710 for each additional person. The filing deadline is March
31, 2004. For details, call the state HEAP office toll-free at, 1-800-282-0880.
Customers with Telecommunciations Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) call 1-800-686-1557.
The Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) helps
a customer maintain gas service by paying 10 percent of his/her total monthly
household income. To qualify, a customer must meet HEAP/PIPP income guidelines
and apply for HEAP. Household income means all money received during the last
12 months for all adults in the household. Gross household income is all income
received before deductions. Income includes: wages, Social Security, state unemployment,
veterans benefits, strike benefits, workers' compensation, cash public assistance,
relief payments, alimony and interest. It does not include money earned by children
under 18.
To apply for PIPP/HEAP, customers should take proof of their
total household income for the past three or 12 months to the local HEAP office.
Proof of income includes copies of: payroll stubs, Human Services case card
and Ohio Bureau of Employment Services card, check or determination notice.
Customers can also use a statement from an employer. A customer should take
copies of his/her natural gas and electric bills. For the nearest HEAP office,
customers should call toll-free, 1-800-282-0880.
If a customer is no longer income-eligible for PIPP, or they
voluntarily leave the program, the PIPP Repayment Plan can help them
gradually pay off their total arrearage amount. Current or former PIPP customers
should contact Dominion East Ohio at 1-800-362-7557, for specific information
on the rules and guidelines of the PIPP Repayment Plan.
Weatherization Assistance may also be available from
the Ohio Department of Development. This federally funded program provides grants
for weatherization repairs. For details, call 1-800-282-0880.
Participation in Energy Choice will not affect a customer's
eligibility for energy assistance. However, customers must be current with payments
to participate in the Energy Choice program.
Other Assistance Programs EnergyShare, a Dominion East Ohio sponsored fuel assistance program of
last resort, is designed to help needy individuals and families pay any type
of winter heating bill—natural gas, wood, oil, kerosene or electricity.
Customers should contact their Local Salvation Army office to apply. Applications
will be taken starting January 2, 2004. A grant of up to $500 may be awarded
to eligible customers.
Weatherization assistance may also be available through the
Dominion East Ohio-funded Housewarming program, which provides up to
$1,500 worth of weatherization materials to eligible customers. Households that
participate in PIPP or HEAP, may automatically qualify for Housewarming. In
Akron, call 330-773-6838; Ashtabula 440-998-4996; Canton 330-455-6385; Cleveland
216-574-7100; Marietta 740-373-7671; New Philadelphia 740-922-6692; Warren 330-394-8029;
and Youngstown 330-747-7921.
The Medical Certification Program delays a shutoff,
or restores service, when it would be life threatening, or especially dangerous,
to the health of a permanent member of a customer's household. Medical certification
forms are available by calling Dominion East Ohio. The program allows customers
to make payment arrangements--it does not reduce the amount they owe.
Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy,
with a diversified and integrated energy portfolio that includes 24,000 megawatts
of generation and 6.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves.
Dominion also serves 5 million retail energy customers in nine states. For more
information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.
