Submitted by Mitch Gross, Eversource.
BERLIN, Conn. (Dec. 2, 2020) – Eversource is urging customers to sign up for a payment plan or assistance program to protect them from disconnection when the suspension on service disconnections ends. Income-eligible customers qualify for hardship payment plans and all customers, regardless of income, are eligible for the COVID-19 Payment Program. Any residential customers experiencing difficulty paying their utility bill should contact our call center to inquire about being coded hardship. Any customers ineligible for hardship status, including both residential and nonresidential customers, should ask about the COVID-19 Payment Program.
“We recognize how challenging these times are for our customers and we want to help them manage their energy bills,” said Eversource Vice President of Customer Operations Jessica Cain. “People may not realize that being on a payment plan not only sets them up with affordable monthly payments, but it also protects them from service disconnection once they resume – as long as the monthly payments are made. Our representatives are here to work individually with any customer to determine which of our flexible payment plans or other special programs would be the most helpful to them.”
Customers who’ve never needed assistance previously may not realize they qualify for protection from service disconnection or can apply for other programs to help reduce past due balances. For example, a household of five with an annual income of ~$84 thousand dollars meets the income-eligibility requirements. Eversource encourages all customers to contact the energy company at 800-286-2828 or to check their eligibility on the state income-eligibility matrix – and find out if one of the energy company’s programs below could be beneficial to them.
Hardship Programs – *for income-eligible customers
- Winter Protection – Customer’s account is protected from service disconnection November 1st through May 1st regardless of bill payment status, with no late payment charges.
- New Start – Customers can reduce or eliminate their outstanding balance in as little as 12 months when they make on-time monthly payments and Eversource will make up the difference.
- Matching Payment – Customers apply for the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) and set up an affordable monthly payment arrangement with Eversource. For every dollar a customer pays toward their bill by the agreed-upon time each month, a dollar will be credited to their past-due amount, down to a zero balance.
Payment Program – *for all customers
- COVID-19 Payment Program – Customers can pay past-due balances in flexible payment plans for up to 24 months with no down payment required Once an active payment arrangement has been established, the account will be protected from service disconnection for the duration of the payment plan, as long as they don’t default on the arrangement. Enrollment has been extended to February 9, 2021.
With many people continuing to work and learn from home, customers are noticing an increase in energy use during the pandemic. Eversource is reminding customers to take advantage of its #1-ranked energy efficiency solutions to help reduce their energy costs. There are many energy efficiency options available to customers, including the
Home Energy Solutions home energy improvement service as well as generous energy efficiency rebates and incentives.
Customers can learn more about payment programs and enroll online at Eversource.com/BillHelp. Information on the energy efficiency programs is available at www.energizect.com.
This news release was distributed in coordination with other customer notifications as ordered by the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority.
