Columbia
Gas of Pennsylvania, Inc.'s Universal Service Programs
General Information
Where To Call?
You may directly ask about and apply for Columbia’s
Low-Income Programs by calling 1-800-537-7431.
What Are The Names Of Columbia’s Programs?
How Can These Programs Benefit Me?
- CAP lowers your monthly gas bill based on the amount of
your household income.
- Warm Choice helps reduce household
gas use resulting in lower bills.
- CARES connects you to local
social service agencies that can help you.
- Dollar Energy
Fund hardship fund provides grants to stop shut-off or to
reconnect service.
- Emergency Repair Fund provides financial
assistance in emergency situations involving unsafe service
conditions.
The CAP Program
What are the actual benefits I can get in
CAP?
Reduced monthly payments:
- CAP customers pay a reduced amount
for their gas, and the bill will stay the same each month.
- Columbia may bill you based on your income level,
on a reduced rate, or at a flat rate. Be sure to ask for
the billing method that works best for you and gives you
the lowest bill per month.
Freezing past debt:
- If you were not enrolled in the CAP
program in the past, then when you enroll, your past debt
will be frozen. This means that as long as you make your
CAP payments on time and in full, Columbia will not make
collections on that past due amount and no fees will be applied
against the debt.
- If you are removed from the CAP program
for failing to pay your CAP bill in full and on time, then
Columbia may begin collection on this amount.
Forgiving past
debt:
- If you pay your CAP bill in full and
on time each month AND you pay a $5 co-pay each month, your
entire debt will be forgiven over 6 years. Each month, your
debt will be reduced by your $5 payment plus a small amount
of forgiveness applied by Columbia. Once your entire debt
is forgiven, you will no longer be required to pay the $5
co-pay.
How do I know if I am eligible for CAP?
To be eligible for Columbia’s CAP, you must:
What are my responsibilities
to get into and stay in CAP?
- You must contact Columbia to
apply. You can call them at 1-800-537-7431.
- You must fill
out an application and verify your income.
- CAP customers will
not be charged security deposits.
- CAP customers 60 years and
older on Social Security or Disability Assisstance are exempt
from annual re-verification.
- CAP customers who have received
LIHEAP, Dollar Energy Fund, or another Columbia Universal
Services program are exempt from annual re-verification.
- You must pay your CAP bill on time and in full each
month.
- If you have past debt that is frozen, then you must
pay a $5 co-pay each month.
- You must apply for all other energy assistance for
which you qualify. For example, CAP customers must apply
for LIHEAP each year.
- You must apply for any eligible free weatherization
services offered through the Department of Community Affairs
State Weatherization Agencies and Columbia LIURP, if you
are eligible.
- You must agree that Columbia can act as your purchasing
agent for CAP Choice aggregation.
- If you own a pool heater, you will agree not to use
the pool heater.
- If your service is off when you apply for CAP, you
will be required to pay $100 upfront prior to restoration.
Customers are encouraged to apply for LIHEAP and other programs
to cover this cost.
Can I be removed from CAP?
- Yes, you may be removed from
CAP if you do not pay your CAP bill in full and on time two
times.
- If your household income increases above the eligibility
guidelines, or you do not provide the requested annual income
information, or you do not comply with program guidelines,
then you may be removed from the program.
Can I get back
into CAP if I am removed from the program?
- Yes. To get back into CAP, you must pay all of the
CAP bills you missed, as well as any CAP bills that became
past due during the termination notice period.
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Warm Choice Program
What is Warm Choice?
Columbia’s Warm Choice program helps households with
high natural gas use levels conserve energy and reduce monthly
energy bills.
How can I qualify for Warm Choice?
To qualify for Warm Choice,
you must:
- Have a household income at or below 150% of the Federal
poverty income guidelines (click
here to view a table with the Federal poverty income guidelines);
- Consume over 180 ccfs of natural gas per month, on
average, during the winter months;
- Columbia reserves 80 percent of its Warm Choice slots
for customers who are enrolled in their CAP program. Therefore,
being enrolled in CAP will improve your chances of qualifying
for Warm Choice.
- Columbia also reserves a percentage of Warm Choice
funds for special needs customers who have incomes 150%-200%
of the Federal poverty income guidelines.
What are the actual
benefits of Warm Choice?
- By participating in Warm Choice,
you may reduce the amount of energy you use each month. This
will most likely result in lower monthly bills.
- By participating in Warm Choice, you will receive
a free home energy usage review, education to help you learn
how to reduce your energy use, and the installation of energy
conservation measures (i.e., sidewall and attic insulation
and air sealing measures).
What are my responsibilities as
a Warm Choice participant?
- To receive services, you
must agree to submit verification of your household income
as part of the application process.
- As a participant, you must agree to allow a utility
employee (or subcontractor) to inspect your residence and
perform an energy audit.
- You must also agree to allow a utility employee (or
subcontractor) to inspect your residence one year after the
conservation measures are installed. This allows the utility
to determine if the conservation measures have been cost
effective and helped you to reduce your energy consumption.
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The
CARES Program
Columbia’s CARES program helps customers unable to pay
their natural gas bills due to a temporary hardship. The CARES
program connects customers with resources located in their
own community. These community resources then help the customer
manage his/her problems.
How do I qualify for CARES?
- To qualify for the CARES
program, you must be a heating customer with an income at
or below 200% of the Federal poverty income guidelines (click
here to view a table with the Federal poverty income guidelines).
- You also must have either actually missed payments or anticipate
missing payments because of some personal crisis that is
causing you to have temporary financial problems.
What are
the benefits to me of participating in CARES?
- Participants
in CARES can receive free referrals to assistance agencies
in the local community, such as a nonprofit organization
or social service agency.
- Participants in CARES can receive
referrals to other Columbia Universal Services programs.
- Participants in CARES may receive special payment arrangements
depending on their payment history and on their specific
situation.
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Dollar
Energy Fund Hardship Fund Program
Columbia’s Dollar Energy Fund hardship fund program
provides customers with cash assistance to help pay down their
outstanding balances. This program is operated by Dollar Energy
Fund, a nonprofit partner of Columbia Gas.
What are the benefits of applying for a
Dollar Energy Fund grant?
If you qualify, you may receive up to $500 toward the payment
of your past due utility debt.
When can I request a grant from Dollar Energy Fund?
- From October through February, only customers whose
service is off or have received a termination notice can apply
for a grant.
- From March to September, any income-eligible customer
may apply for a grant.
How do I qualify for a Dollar Energy
Fund hardship grant?
If you are below 62 years of age:
If you are 62 years of age or older:
If you qualify to
receive a LIHEAP grant from the Pennsylvania Department
of Public Welfare, then you must apply for one before you
can apply for a Dollar Energy Fund grant.
If you
still have utility service, you must try all other available
energy assistance programs first.
Can CAP Customers apply
for a hardship grant?
- If you are a current CAP customer,
you are only eligible for a hardship fund grant if your service
is off in October, November, or December because of non-payment.
- If you are a past CAP customer, then you must wait one
year before you can apply for a hardship grant to be used
to make up missed CAP payments.
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The Emergency Repair Fund
Columbia’s Emergency Repair Fund program is a ratepayer
funded program designed to help low-income residential customers
in an emergency situation, as long as grants are available.
How do I qualify for the Emergency Repair Fund?
- You
must be experiencing an emergency situation involving unsafe
heating service conditions.
- You must meet income guidelines,
which change annually. You can call 1-800-537-7431 for information.
- You must own and live in your own home
What are the benefits
of applying for an Emergency Repair Fund grant?
- If you qualify
and funds are available, assistance can be provided to repair
or replace natural gas furnaces, water heaters, service and
house lines, and space heaters serving as the primary heat
source in an emergency situation.
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