Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor: Winter heating season is here, but it’s not too late to prepare

The Indiana Workplace of Utility Client Counselor is informing the general public that it’s not too late to arrange for the winter heating season.

The workplace says all shoppers ought to concentrate on the instruments they will use to mitigate winter heating payments, with utilities all through Indiana and america projecting larger power prices over the following few months.

They gave the next ideas and knowledge:

Monetary Help

In the event you want monetary help, sources can be found.

• The federally funded Low-Revenue Residence Power Help Program (LIHEAP) assists qualifying shoppers every winter.
  • State statute protects taking part clients, and people who have utilized for LIHEAP, from disconnection from Dec. 1 by way of Mar. 15.
  • Customers can be taught extra and apply on the Indiana Housing & Group Growth Authority’s (IHCDA’s) web site at www.in.gov/ihcda/homeowners-and-renters/low-income-home-energy-assistance-program-liheap.
  • IHCDA’s web site additionally has contact info for LIHEAP consumption places of work in every Indiana county. It additionally has info on earnings {qualifications}.
• Customers with out web entry might name IHCDA toll-free at 1-800-872-0371 for extra info on LIHEAP. Customers who qualify for LIHEAP additionally qualify for a Low-Revenue Family Water Help program (LIHWAP).
• Native township trustees present help all through the state.
• Many utilities provide their very own help applications.  Assist by way of native charities can also be accessible.
• Customers in search of monetary help ought to name 2-1-1, the state’s assist line which is obtainable 24 hours a day. Indiana 211 can join you with native stage sources.

 Billing Choices and Fee Plans

All utility shoppers, together with these protected by the moratorium and/or receiving monetary help, are strongly inspired to proceed to pay heating payments every month, even when they will solely make partial funds.

“In case you are behind in your payments or involved about your skill to pay, it’s vital to contact your utilities immediately to hunt fee preparations you may afford,” stated Indiana Utility Client Counselor Invoice Nice. “In the event you or somebody you already know wants help or a fee association, it’s time to ask for assist now, and never wait.”

Along with fee preparations, many utilities provide finances billing, which supplies a constant month-to-month fee. The utility units the month-to-month quantity over a selected interval – usually a 12 months – based mostly on the client’s anticipated utilization. A real-up is utilized within the twelfth month, with a credit score or steadiness usually utilized to the following 12 months. A key profit to finances billing is that it may possibly present month-to-month consistency all through the winter, and assist shoppers keep away from the sticker shock they might in any other case expertise.

Power Effectivity

Taking steps to enhance a house’s power effectivity may also help save shoppers cash, as properly.

Now is a superb time to schedule a house heating system tune-up and examine different financial savings steps like altering your HVAC filter usually, changing previous climate stripping, and turning ceiling followers to rotate clockwise for the winter months. The OUCC affords extra power effectivity ideas at www.in.gov/oucc/natural-gas/tips-and-publications/reduce-your-winter-energy-bills/.

Further sources embrace on-line residence power audits and particular applications supplied by utilities.  Study extra at www.in.gov/oucc/featured-topics/winter-bills-faq.

Information Reporting

Eight Indiana electrical and pure gasoline utilities – together with 5 of the state’s six largest power utilities – have agreed to share month-to-month disconnection and arrearage information with the OUCC for September 2022 by way of March 2024. Extra info is obtainable at www.in.gov/oucc/featured-topics/arrearage-and-disconnection-data-investigation, together with information from September 2022.