Dominion East Ohio assistance programs.
Dominion East provides qualified, low income customers in Ohio access to and information on a number of financial assistance programs. Get help for paying your gas, utility and energy bills from Dominion East in Ohio. Resources include payment plans, free government grants for paying heating/utility bills, weatherization and programs such as EnergyShare and PIPP among others. Resources can help individuals, such as the low income, unemployed, seniors, and disabled, make it through a difficult period. Find how to apply below for Dominion East assistance programs.
Credits are available from the federal government Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). This resource is available to qualified low income-eligible customers. The credits and government funds will only be able to pay a small portion of your heating bill. It will not guarantee against shutoff of your Dominion East service. The application period will normally start in the fall, and run until the end of March. In order to apply, applications will normally be made available at your local post offices and libraries. Or feel free to call the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880 for information or to apply.
EnergyShare is offered by Dominion East Ohio in partnership with the local Salvation Army. It is only offered as a program of last resort, so families and individuals who have nowhere else to turn may be able to qualify for emergency financial assistance for paying their gas and utility bills.
As indicated, EnergyShare will only pay out money if the applicant has a disconnect or termination notice. The unemployed who meet income criteria may benefit. They must either not be qualified for, or they need to have used up, all other state and federal government fuel assistance resources and programs, such as LIHEAP. An exception is made for seniors, or those aged 60 and older, who do not need to have a termination notice in order to apply. Call Dominion East Ohio or your local Salvation Army to apply or get more details.
Limits on gas bill amounts that need to be paid are in place from the Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus). Low income customers will only need to pay at most 6 percent of their total monthly household income towards their monthly Dominion East energy bills, or a $10 minimum payment, whichever is greater.
Another benefit of PIPP Plus is that a portion of any unpaid bills will be eliminated over time. Every time you make a required PIPP Plus monthly payment by the due date, Dominion East Ohio will credit the account for the rest of that month’s billed amount. So in addition, an additional 1/24th credit toward their prior account balance will be placed on your account, so in effect your balance will be eliminated over a total of 2 years.
You need to stay current with the plan. If you miss any PIPP Plus payments, then will be removed from the program and also your Dominion East gas service will be shut off. You will also need to pay any outstanding account balance and it will not be credited off. Some other conditions include you need to re-verify your gross monthly household income once every 12 months. If this is not done timely you may also be removed from the PIPP Plus program.
Another variation of this resource is known as Graduate Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (Graduate PIPP Plus). If you are no longer income-eligible for PIPP Plus then this may be able to help with paying gas and utility bills.
One of the big differences is the timing, in that the Graduate PIPP Plus program can help Dominion East Ohio customers bring their account current in 12 months vs 24 months. The monthly plan amount that will need to be paid by the customer is the average of the customer’s most recent Budget Billing and PIPP Plus amount. For each payment made in full by the due date from PIPP Plus, Dominion East will credit the account for the rest of that month’s billed amount. Another 1/12th credit toward their prior account balance will also be made at the time of payment.
Housewarming Program is a weatherization program that is directly paid for and administered by Dominion East Ohio. Eligible customers may be able to save money on their bills, mainly by reducing their energy usage. The program provides a number of services, including free attic and sidewall insulation, weather-stripping, door sweeps and other insulation devices and improvements. Dial 1-888-377-3774 for information. Another benefit of Housewarming is free advice and consultations that can be provided.
Emergency HEAP (E-HEAP), also called the Winter Crisis Program (WCP), is an emergency cash payment during the winter. This payment is made to stop a potential shut off of Dominion East Ohio customers, and money is available during the wintertime.
A health care emergency can be addressed by the Dominion East Ohio Medical Certification program. This will postpone a shutoff of your gas service for 30 days when it would be especially dangerous due to a medical condition or if it can create a hardship of a permanent member of your household. It provides additional time for a qualified customer to get financial help on their bills, or gives them time to make payment arrangements with the energy company.
Proof is needed. What a customer will need is a licensed physician, clinical nurse specialist, physician assistant, certified nurse practitioner, registered nurse, local board of health physician, or a mid-wife must sign the form proving the medical emergency. Medical information may also need to be provided/released to Dominion East. Also, be sure to contact the company in advance, and provide enough time for the paperwork to be processed and verified.
The Ohio Department of Development offers Weatherization Assistance, which is also paid for by the federal government. Cash grants can be paid out for weatherization repairs to homes or apartments. People may save a few hundred dollars per year on their gas bills from this free program. For details, call the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880 or Dominion East Ohio at 1-800-362-7557.
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