As Winter Persists, PSEG Long Island Customers May Be Eligible for Financial Assistance

(UNIONDALE, N.Y., Feb. 23, 2023) With winter continuing for another month, PSEG Long Island wants to remind customers that assistance is available if they are struggling to pay their energy bills. The discount provided by the company’s Household Assistance Program has also increased for 2023.

The majority of customers on the Household Assistance Program will now save approximately $40 every 30 days on their electric bill. Learn more about the Household Assistance Program.

“While this winter has been a mild one, PSEG Long Island knows that people are still struggling,” said Lou DeBrino, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Customer Services. “To help manage energy use and costs, we offer resources, tips and a variety of energy efficiency programs. We encourage customers to reach out to us to enroll in a deferred payment agreement and learn about available financial assistance programs. We’re here to help.”

Assistance available to those struggling with bills
PSEG Long Island wants to work with any customer struggling to pay their bills and help them find a solution. The company encourages anyone with a past-due account balance to call 1-800-490-0025 so a representative can help them develop a deferred payment agreement tailored to the needs of their household. 

Additionally, PSEG Long Island wants to make customers aware of the financial assistance programs offered by New York State:

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) can provide a heating fuel grant to eligible homeowners and renters depending on income, household size and how they heat their home. A family of four may have a maximum gross monthly income of $5,485 and still qualify for benefits. This benefit opened on Nov. 1. For more information, visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/. 

Emergency HEAP, a subset of the HEAP program, offers eligible customers a grant to help low- and middle-income New Yorkers avoid having their home heating disconnected or exhausting their heating fuel source. This emergency portion of HEAP opened on Jan. 3, 2023.  If customers are experiencing an emergency, they can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location, which can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/

For low-income households facing no-heat situations, the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance is also accepting applications for its heating equipment repair or replacement benefit. Eligible homeowners can now apply for up to $4,000 for repair or $8,000 for replacement of a furnace, boiler or other direct heating equipment necessary to keep the household's primary heating source working. Additionally, eligible households can receive energy efficiency services, which includes the cleaning of primary heating equipment to allow for its safe and efficient operation. Customers can apply for this benefit by reaching out to their local Department of Social Services location, which can be found here: https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/contacts/

Customers who apply for and receive one of these state or federal benefits are automatically placed on PSEG Long Island’s Household Assistance Program, and would be eligible for an energy audit through the Residential Energy Affordability Program, which provides energy efficiency measures and suggestions to help lower consumption. 

United Way’s Project Warmth
Project Warmth is an emergency assistance program administered by United Way of Long Island to help low-income families and individuals with energy emergencies. To receive funds from Project Warmth, customers must be a resident of Nassau or Suffolk County or the Rockaways; show financial need; provide an acceptable explanation for any unpaid energy bills; have exhausted or been denied emergency HEAP assistance; and not topped off their oil tank in any previous year. Project Warmth is available until funds are exhausted. More information can be found here: http://www.unitedwayli.org/project_warmth.asp. 

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PSEG Long Island
PSEG Long Island operates the Long Island Power Authority’s transmission and distribution system under a long-term contract. PSEG Long Island is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Inc. (PSEG) (NYSE:PEG), a publicly traded diversified energy company.