PSEG Long Island Offers Payment Plans, Other Assistance to Help Avoid Shutoffs – PR Newswire

As shutoffs resume after more than two years, low- and moderate-income customers will continue to have assistance with bills and may be eligible for new protections

UNIONDALE, N.Y., June 30, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Utility service shutoffs for nonpayment have begun to resume across New York State, and PSEG Long Island expects to resume shutoffs on July 12. Continuing more than two years of outreach efforts, PSEG Long Island stands ready to work with customers with outstanding balances to avoid interruptions to their service. Service shutoff for nonpayment is always the last resort, and customers who are behind on their bills can still call 1-800-490-0025 to get help and protect their energy service from disconnection.

"We want to reassure our customers that if they're struggling with their energy bills, we are here to help. We are ready and willing to partner with households who have fallen behind on their bills, as we have been throughout the pandemic," said Rick Walden, vice president of Customer Services, PSEG Long Island. "That commitment is not going away. We offer many programs to help people who are behind on their bills, including deferred payment agreements, low-income electric rates, and more."

How customers can avoid a shutoff

Customers with unpaid account balances should call PSEG Long Island at 1-800-490-0025 to determine if they are eligible for these or other financial assistance programs, and to develop individualized payment agreements.

"It's not too late. We know how hard it has been to manage household bills when your income has been affected," Walden said. "We want to work with our customers, make sure they know about assistance programs, and help them set up individualized payment agreements that avert a shutoff, letting them pay what they can now to prevent them from getting too far behind."

What to know about shutoffs:

Customers are beginning to take actionPSEG Long Island continues to partner with social service agencies and perform outreach to customers who have fallen behind on their bills, including letters informing them in advance about the resumption of shutoffs for nonpayment.

For the past seven months, PSEG Long Island field representatives have been making customer visits, connecting one-on-one with residential customers who have past-due account balances to discuss payment methods, accept a payment or work out a payment plan to pay down balances over time. In that time, representatives have visited with more than 47,000 residential customers and 10,000 of those customers have entered into deferred payment agreements. PSEG Long Island representatives work with customers to find the best solution for the household.

PSEG Long Island's Consumer Advocacy team also works year-round to provide customers with crucial information, utilizing email and social media, hosting educational webinars, and conducting proactive phone outreach. These outreaches also include energy efficiency tips, referrals for additional assistance for food insecurity and housing concerns, and help applying for the federally funded, statewide Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

When a new, state-administered program was established to provide eligible households up to $10,000 in unpaid bill forgiveness in the fall of 2021, PSEG Long Island mobilized to inform as many customers as possible, hosting a series of webinars that connected with more than 1,000 customers. The Consumer Advocacy team made thousands of phone calls to encourage customers to apply.

The combination of PSEG Long Island's efforts and New York State's own outreach resulted in more than 7,000 PSEG Long Island customers benefiting from this unique program receiving $20 million of the $150 million total utility aid that had been made available statewide.

Where to learn more about available assistanceFor more information on PSEG Long Island financial assistance programs, visit https://www.psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance. Programs available for customers, both internal and externally run, include:

PSEG Long Island also has other tools to help customers cut their energy costs:

For more information on HEAP and federal programs, visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/.

For more information on energy and money saving programs and tips, visit https://www.psegliny.com/efficiency.

PSEG Long IslandPSEG 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.

Visit PSEG Long Island at:www.psegliny.comPSEG Long Island on FacebookPSEG Long Island on InstagramPSEG Long Island on TwitterPSEG Long Island on LinkedInPSEG Long Island on YouTubePSEG Long Island on Flickr

Contact: Media Relations Pager516.229.7248[emailprotected]

SOURCE PSEG Long Island

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