UI Outlines Assistance Programs to Help Customers Manage Rising Energy Costs - Business Wire

ORANGE, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--As a effect of the ongoing planetary vigor situation and associated terms increases, United Illuminating contiguous is encouraging its customers to research the assistance programs disposable done the company, including outgo plans, wintertime protection, and measure forgiveness for those that qualify.

“We recognize that the unprecedented authorities of the planetary vigor marketplace is having real, burdensome impacts connected the mundane lives of families crossed Connecticut, truthful we are focused connected making definite UI customers are alert of, and prepared for, these rising proviso costs and recognize the programs we person to help,” said Frank Reynolds, President & CEO of UI. “Any UI lawsuit that is having occupation paying their electrical bill, oregon is acrophobic astir their quality to bash truthful successful the coming months, should not hesitate to telephone us. Above all, we are present to assistance our customers, and are committed to making definite everyone is alert of the tools available, including outgo plans, arrearage absorption programs, and different resources that tin assistance customers negociate their vigor usage and trim the interaction to their bill.”

United Illuminating is anticipating that the Standard Service terms for UI residential customers volition emergence from 10.62 to 21.94 cents per Kilowatt Hour (kWh) opening January 1, 2023 – a measure summation interaction 43%, oregon mean monthly summation of $79 for the emblematic UI residential customer. The Standard Service terms is the outgo of vigor utilized by ratepayers, and purchased by UI connected their behalf without immoderate markup oregon profit. Energy prices crossed the globe person increased, particularly earthy state – the superior substance successful New England – owed to proviso concatenation constraints, precocious inflation, and the ongoing struggle successful Ukraine. UI serves arsenic a pass-through mechanics for the betterment of these costs and does not nett signifier them successful immoderate way.

To assistance customers negociate summation proviso costs, UI is reminding those having trouble paying their measure of the pursuing programs the institution offers to supply assistance and relief:

• Matching Payment Program – Residential customers covered by the Winter Protection Program and who vigor by energy whitethorn suffice for UI’s Matching Payment Program. If you qualify, we volition enactment with you to make a monthly fund agreement. If you support that agreement, we volition lucifer your payments to trim your backmost balance.

• Bill Forgiveness Program – This programme helps low-income customers support year-round work and wage down delinquent balances by company-matched dollars. A outgo statement program helps qualified hardship customers wage past-due electrical bills. Under BFP, if payments are current, a past-due equilibrium tin beryllium "forgiven" implicit time.

• Winter Protection Program – UI offers wintertime extortion to each our customers that qualify. If you conscionable eligibility requirements, we volition not crook disconnected your energy betwixt November 1 and May 1. The Winter Protection Plan indispensable beryllium renewed annually, opening successful October. To forestall your work from being unopen disconnected aft May 1, interaction UI to acceptable up a outgo arrangement.

• Flexible Payment Arrangements – UI volition enactment with customers if they are having occupation paying their electrical bill. UI offers flexible outgo arrangements for each customers needing assistance. These arrangements tin beryllium dispersed retired up to 18 months for residential customers and 6 months for non-residential customers. Current outgo arrangements whitethorn beryllium renegotiated owed to a alteration successful fiscal circumstances Per Conn. Agencies Reg. § 16-3-100(b)(3)(A). These arrangements whitethorn beryllium discussed confidentially by calling our Customer Care Center astatine 800.722.5584.

• Called to Active Duty? – Customers whitethorn suffice for impermanent suspension of collections enactment and disconnection of their electrical work if they are called into progressive work successful the U.S. military.

• Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible (HES-IE) – Through the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, United Illuminating administers the HES-IE program. This weatherization programme is designed to assistance customers with constricted income oregon fiscal needs trim their vigor bills.

For much accusation connected fiscal assistance programs offered by UI, delight sojourn the UI website oregon telephone (800) 722-5584. For much accusation connected Home Energy Solutions sojourn the UI website oregon telephone (877) 947-3873.

Though galore customers are connected the UI Standard Service rate, immoderate customers elite to acquisition energy straight from, autarkic suppliers. Customers are encouraged to reappraisal their measure to marque definite they cognize who their supplier of prime is, and the extremity day of their service. Customers tin sojourn https://energizect.com/rate-board/choosing-a-supplier to comparison prices.

UI is besides reminding residents of elemental actions they tin instrumentality to assistance marque their location arsenic businesslike arsenic imaginable and trim the interaction of rising proviso costs connected their vigor bill.

Insulation

• Install wall-outlet and switch-plate gaskets to trim the travel of acold air.
• Install tempest windows, oregon acquisition model insulator kits to trim drafts.
• Be definite your home’s insulation meets U.S. Department of Energy specifications for your geographic area, and that ceilings, walls, and floors implicit unfinished crawl spaces are each decently insulated.
• Insulate blistery h2o pipes.
• Install tempest doors to trim vigor transportation to the outside.

Heating & Cooling

• Have your heating instrumentality periodically checked by a work professional.
• Dust oregon vacuum radiator surfaces and vents often and support them unobstructed.
• Keep insulated drapes oregon shades closed successful summertime and unfastened connected sunny wintertime days. Close curtains oregon drapes connected wintertime nights to trim vigor loss.
• Close fireplace dampers erstwhile not successful usage to support heated oregon cooled aerial from escaping up the chimney.
• Set the thermostat arsenic debased arsenic comfortableness permits. Each grade supra 68º F tin usage 3% much energy.
• Open windows successful outpouring and autumn alternatively than utilizing aerial conditioning.
• Install programmable oregon wi-fi thermostat to automatically power heating and cooling.
• Clean oregon regenerate furnace filters periodically, and person your furnace burner checked and cleaned annually.
• Use ceiling oregon portable fans successful spot of country aerial conditioners whenever possible.
• If you usage electrical heat, see replacing it with a precocious ratio ductless vigor pump system, which tin chopped energy usage by arsenic overmuch arsenic 50 percent.

About UI: The United Illuminating Company (UI) is simply a subsidiary of AVANGRID, Inc. Established successful 1899, UI operates astir 3,600 miles of electrical organisation lines and 138 miles of transmission lines. It serves astir 341,000 customers successful the greater New Haven and Bridgeport areas of Connecticut. UI received the Edison Electric Institute’s Emergency Response Award successful 2019 and 2021. For much information, sojourn www.uinet.com.

About AVANGRID: AVANGRID, Inc. (NYSE: AGR) aspires to beryllium the starring sustainable vigor institution successful the United States. Headquartered successful Orange, CT with astir $40 cardinal successful assets and operations successful 24 U.S. states, AVANGRID has 2 superior lines of business: Avangrid Networks and Avangrid Renewables. Avangrid Networks owns and operates 8 electrical and earthy state utilities, serving much than 3.3 cardinal customers successful New York and New England. Avangrid Renewables owns and operates a portfolio of renewable vigor procreation facilities crossed the United States. AVANGRID employs astir 7,000 radical and has been recognized by JUST Capital successful 2021 and 2022 arsenic 1 of the JUST 100 companies – a ranking of America’s champion firm citizens. In 2022, AVANGRID ranked 2nd wrong the inferior assemblage for its committedness to the situation and the communities it serves. The institution supports the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and was named among the World’s Most Ethical Companies successful 2022 for the 4th consecutive twelvemonth by the Ethisphere Institute. For much information, sojourn www.avangrid.com.