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Thousands struggling with utility costs eligible for help

Thousands struggling with utility costs eligible for help

The trickle-down effect of the severely troubled economy on senior citizens on a fixed income is that they often have even more difficulty making ends meet.

That is what happened to Mt. Lebanon resident Kathryn Ventura, 81. Her gas was disconnected by Columbia Gas in July 2008 after six months of her paying less than 25 percent of her bill totals.

The scenario could have been avoided if she had contacted Columbia Gas about the various assistance programs and services the company offers to help customers manage energy costs.

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"Many efforts are taken to not turn off someone's gas service," said Bethany Burtyk, manager of communications and media relations at Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, about the letters, phone calls, and, if necessary, a face-to-face meeting to find a resolution.

Mrs. Ventura's gas was turned on again in October -- just in time for the cold weather -- after a visit from two Columbia community outreach coordinators. They helped Mrs. Ventura adopt a budget payment plan.

Of Columbia's roughly 66,000 customers in the South Hills, more than 22,000 are utilizing the company's budget plan in which annual gas costs are spread over 12 months.

Columbia, with local headquarters in Canonsburg, serves more than 412,000 Pennsylvania customers in 26 counties.

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As of September 2008, 110,175 customers were on a budget plan, making it the most popular of the company's customer programs.

"I'll be paying 85 dollars a month, down from more than a hundred a month I was being billed before," Mrs. Ventura said.

Mrs. Ventura is in the process of receiving a federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program grant for $318, which will be applied to her gas bill.

This program's guidelines focus primarily on household size and income level, and change with each new heating season.

Mrs. Ventura, who is disabled, lives in a rented duplex with her son, Lloyd, 60 -- who is also disabled and on a fixed income -- and granddaughter Katelyn, 15, a Mt. Lebanon High School student.

When the family's grant runs out, Columbia Gas will submit Mrs. Ventura's name for a federally funded CRISIS grant for customers who face utility-service disruption due to lack of payments or an unsafe condition in their homes.

Ms. Burtyk said the largest number of Columbia customers requesting financial assistance apply for LIHEAP first.

From October 2007 to September 2008, 1,242 customers received LIHEAP grants through Columbia. That number rose from Oct. 1, 2008, through Feb. 13, 2009, as more than 1,805 customers were granted funds.

After the grant runs out, customers must apply for other financial assistance programs.

Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania and Columbia Gas of Maryland are subsidiaries of NiSource Inc., the second-largest natural gas distributor in the U.S.

Ms. Burtyk said rates are determined by the cost to Columbia to acquire natural gas. Each quarter, rates are re-evaluated and adjusted by comparing what is charged to customers and what Columbia pays.

The process is closely regulated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

While rates increased in September 2008 for the first time since 1996, the average monthly gas bill dropped from $135.06 in December to $122.41 in January 2009, or a decrease of 9.7 percent due to a drop in gas prices.

Regardless, people are still hurting financially.

"Between the ongoing economic challenges and a frigid January, our call center and local social service agencies have seen a dramatic rise in the number of customers who are requesting financial assistance," said Patty Terpin, Columbia's director of customer programs.

"Despite the increase in referrals to programs, Columbia Gas believes that many customers are still not aware that help is available," she said.

Besides the budget plan, LIHEAP, and CRISIS, those plans include:

n Extended payment plans for customers with past-due bills.

n Customer Assistance Program, which offers affordable payment plans for customers with low incomes and long-term bill payment problems.

n Fuel Fund, administered by the Dollar Energy Fund, which provides energy grants to customers to offset overdue payments or to restore service to terminated accounts. Income guidelines change annually. In 2008, $84,500 was donated to the fund by customers, with Columbia contributing $120,000.

The company also offers a free weatherization program, energy saving information and resource materials, financial assistance for the repair or replacement of heat-related items, and more.

For help in paying your Columbia Gas bill, contact customer service assistance at 1-800-537-7431, or visit www.columbiagas.com.

First Published: February 19, 2009, 5:00 a.m.

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