Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation reminds customers, including furloughed federal employees, who are facing financial difficulties of the many programs and services available to assist with their energy bills. These include grants and bill discounts for income-qualified accounts, as well as deferred and extended payment arrangements.

“Energy bills often rise in the winter, and can be especially difficult for those experiencing financial hardships,” said Anthony Campagiorni, Vice President of Customer Services and Regulatory Affairs. “Our payment and assistance programs can help our customers during challenging times. We encourage all families to reach out to us and learn of their options.”

He reviewed some of the programs offered through Central Hudson, including:

• Home Energy Assistance Pro­gram (HEAP) grants: This federally funded program provides qualified families using electricity or natural gas as their primary heating source a benefit of $350 or more, depending on family income and size guidelines, applied toward their Central Hudson account. Eligible customers receiving a HEAP grant will also receive a credit on their utility bills, based on the type of heating source and income level. Qualified households receiving a HEAP benefit for non-utility heating fuels such as oil, propane, wood/wood pellets, kero­sene, coal or corn are also eligible for a monthly credit on their electric or non-heating gas bill.
• Payment extension: Provides some extra time to pay bills, beyond the due date.
• Deferred Payment Agreement: Extends past-due amounts over time, while staying current with future bills.
• Budget Billing: Avoids seasonal swings with predictable bills by dividing a household's average annual energy bill into 11 even monthly payments, with the 12th month's payment adjusted up or down to reflect actual usage and market prices.
• Good Neighbor Fund: A “last resort” grant, available after all other forms of assistance are utilized, funded by customers and shareholders.
• Military Family grants: A special grant offered through the Good Neighbor Fund for qualifying veteran and military families.

In addition, Central Hudson will waive finance charges for furloughed federal employees during the shutdown period.

“We’re here to provide assistance programs and payment options for those in need, and will work with each of our customers to address their individual circumstances,” said Campagiorni.

For more information on Central Hudson's assistance programs, visit www.CentralHudson.com/paymentassistance and www.CentralHudson.com/specialassistance.

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