Emergency Heating Assistance Deadlines Extended

Winter programs for customers with past-due balances open through May 19

NEW YORK – National Grid Consumer Advocates are alerting low-income customers in New York state that time is running out to apply for emergency heating assistance if they are struggling to pay their winter bills. Customers who receive benefits from the Home Energy Assistance Program may be  eligible for up to two emergency benefits to address past-due balances, but they must act quickly as the program closes on May 19.

“Thousands of National Grid customers are eligible for programs that can help them afford their winter energy bills,” said Sherry Higgins, National Grid Consumer Advocacy Manager. “It’s critical for these individuals to explore available benefits that keeps them connected and helps them manage their energy bills before time runs out.”

Low-income customers who exhausted their traditional HEAP benefits may apply for emergency benefits if they meet certain residency and income guidelines and have either received a disconnection notice for their electricity or natural gas service, or if they are low on the fuel used to heat their homes. Applications must be made through the HEAP Local District Contact. Customers may only apply for one emergency benefit at a time.

Regular HEAP applications for heating assistance closed in March, however emergency HEAP was extended by the state through May 19.

 Supplemental Heating Benefits from National Grid

National Grid offers additional support to low-to-moderate income customers facing past-due balances. Customers who exhausted their HEAP benefits for 2022-23, but still need assistance with their energy bills, may qualify for a $200 grant from National Grid’s Care & Share program. The program, administered by HeartShare Human Services of NY, is open to National Grid customers that meet HEAP income guidelines. Customers can call 1-855-852-2736 for application information. The program closes for the year when funding is exhausted.

Customers who earn more than HEAP’s income limits but still face difficulty affording their bills may qualify for National Grid’s Hope & Warmth Energy Fund and Hearts Fighting Hunger Program. Both programs provide grants to customers who meet income guidelines for NYSERDA’s Assisted Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program. To qualify for a $200 grant from the Hope & Warmth Energy Fund, customers also must have an active disconnect notice from National Grid and reside in a one- or two-family house or pay for heat in their apartment. Hearts Fighting Hunger provides $150 grocery store gift cards or food vouchers to customers who meet income guidelines, reside in a one- or two-family house or pay for heat in their apartment, have a past-due National Grid balance, and have emergency food assistance needs. These programs, administered by HeartShare Human Services, can be accessed by calling (718) 422-4207.

The programs were introduced as part of the company’s Customer Savings Initiative to assist customers during a winter heating season where natural gas and electricity supply costs had risen from the previous year. National Grid committed $6 million in shareholder funds in November 2022 to support these and other assistance programs to aid its 4.1 million electricity and natural gas customers across New York state.

Programs for All National Grid Customers

All residential customers, regardless of income, qualify for two programs to manage energy costs. National Grid’s Budget Billing Planspreads payments out more evenly across the year to help better manage energy costs. Budget billing smooths out peaks and valleys in customer bills, by using account history to make bills more predictable. Your account is reviewed periodically to make minor adjustments and the company reconciles the account with customers annually. Deferred Payment Agreements aid customers who have fallen behind in their payments. Customers with past-due accounts can arrange to have their balance spread over multiple months to create manageable payments and avoid disconnections. Learn more about these programs by calling 1-800-642-4272.

Residential customers who receive Supplement Security Income, Social Security Disability Insurance or a retirement pension, and are enrolled in an active payment agreement, may qualify for a 10-day extension on their billing due date through the company’s Bill Extender Program. Customers can inquire about this program at 1-800-642-4272.

Information Available in Multiple Languages

Since 2022, National Grid’s consumer advocates have provided assistance to more than 27,000 New York households. National Grid has Spanish-speaking consumer advocates available to assist customers. They can be reached by calling 1-800-642-4272 or emailing [email protected]. In addition, translation services are available by phone for more than 120 languages and dialects.

Spanish and Chinese speaking customers may now find the cost-saving and energy efficiency resources in their favored language at ngrid.com/heretohelp. Translation to more than 60 languages is available on National Grid’s website by visiting nationalgridus.com, scrolling to the bottom of the page and choosing from the Select Languages dropdown box.

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