Financial assistance programs from Connecticut Natural Gas.
Assistance is provided by Connecticut Natural Gas to qualified low income customers. The company may offer everything from payment plans to direct financial aid (or free grants) to pay utility bills. There are also referrals to CEAP, Operation Fuel for paying heating costs and more. Find how to get help from CNG below.
The energy provider works with customers to keep their service on, especially during the winter months. While a number of qualifications will need to be met by applicants to CNG, the company will do what it can to find a solution if you are facing a crisis or emergency.
Some of the payment plans and financial assistance is available directly from Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) while other resources are government sponsored. Families have a menu of options to choose from. They can also apply for multiple assistance programs in an effort to get help with paying their utility and heating bills.
The Matching Payment Plan, or MPP, runs from November to May of each year. So it runs for a total of six months during the colder months that many Connecticut families are faced with. It is an option for customers that need assistance with paying their natural gas bills. It is only offered for people facing some form of hardship.
For those that are able to enroll into the MPP, the company will “match” every dollar you pay on your account until you get a zero balance and/or complete the program. It is an effect way to pay down a balance on an account.
So what this means is the customer will need to pay a portion of their balance due and Connecticut Natural Gas will also pay or credit some of your bill as part of this energy assistance program. At the end of the day most customers only need to pay about a third of the account on their own before the balance has been wiped out. This is only an option for income qualified residents. Call (860) 727-3034.
Federal government assistance is offered as part of the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). This resource is called LIHEAP in most states, and it will help pay a portion of your winter heating bills. Learn more or apply at your local Community Action Agency, as they process applications for this benefit.
A cash grant will be provided to those households that are found eligible to enroll. It can be provided both year round and as a one-off emergency. All government funding from CEAP is limited as well and set annually by the federal government.
Connecticut Natural Gas Payment Arrangements can be established. Call the customer information department. A number of questions will be asked of the applicant, proof of hardship is needed, and other terms will need to be met. Customer service can be reached at (860) 727-3034. The application process is confidential.
Budget Payments are an option for any customer. Your income or asset level does not matter and will not impact your application as to whether a person is accepted or not. The CNG Budget Payment Plan will makes your residential monthly gas/heating bill “even” year round. What this means is that it will spread out your annual utility expenses into 12 equal installments. Then, the customer will need to pay 1/12 of that total expense per month. This eliminates seasonal spikes in your bill. The amount you need to pay will also be trued up at minimum once per year. To set up a plan or get additional information or questions answered, dial (860) 524-8361.
Operation Fuel is an option statewide. It relies on donations and provides people the ability to bring emergency assistance to a specific type of household. There may be financial help for the ill, low-income working people, children, and the elderly. It is run by a non-profit organization and it is paid for by contributions from people across the state. So if you can donate (or even maybe in the future) please do so.
Any funds paid out from Operation Fuel are to be used to assist those Connecticut Natural Gas facing a crisis or emergency. Priority is for the most vulnerable, such as someone with a serious medical condition or families with young children, even an infant.
Apply or look into the Hardship status. This is a classification given to CNG customers that are found to be qualified to receive some form of utility bill assistance. The Hardship program allows the customer to maybe benefit from other forms of support.
This will help people qualify for energy bill assistance, state funds and grants, and more aid. All of this is provided to CNG heating customers who qualify under the state and/or federal government income guidelines and if they meet other program qualifications.
When applying, you will need to provide the following. Applicants will more than likely need social security cards, proof of income, copies of birth certificates, copies of assets and more. In addition, to apply for emergency energy assistance, you can decide to make an appointment to visit your local Outreach site in your county.
Contact information for CNG programs
For information on these and other resources from Connecticut Natural Gas, call or 860.524.8361 or 203.869.6900 for details.
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