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Michael Voltz, PSEG Long Island's director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, speaks at the PSEG Long Island Energy Forum for Advocates on Oct. 23, 2024. The annual event is an information sharing opportunity for groups and agencies that provide services to the financially disadvantaged. Photo from PSEG LI

As winter heating season approaches, PSEG Long Island reminds customers that programs exist to help people struggling with utility bills. There are also many ways they can lower their bills by using energy wisely.

“While PSEG Long Island is not a provider of natural gas or heating oil, we want all of our customers to be able to keep their homes warm this winter,” said Lou DeBrino, PSEG Long Island’s vice president of Customer Operations. “To help customers manage their electricity expenses, we offer resources, tips and a variety of energy efficiency programs. There are also state programs that can help with heating costs. We know some customers are struggling to pay bills, and we encourage them 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.

PSEG Long Island also offers its Residential Energy Affordability Partnership Program, a free program for income-eligible customers designed to help them save energy and lower their energy bills. A REAP technician will visit a customer’s home to conduct a free home energy survey and may install energy-saving measures. To learn more, visit psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance/reap.

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 $6,390 and still qualify for benefits. This benefit is scheduled to open 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 or if  they are running low or are out of their deliverable heat source (i.e. fuel oil, kerosene or propane). This emergency portion of HEAP is scheduled to open on Jan. 2, 2025. 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, which provides a discount of $40 or more a month on their electric bill.

Customers who do not or cannot receive one of these state and federal benefits can apply for the Household Assistance Program in other ways. More information is available at psegliny.com/myaccount/customersupport/financialassistance/householdassistance

How customers can lower their bills

The most effective thing customers can to do lower their bills is to use electricity more efficiently. Here are some helpful tips:

  • Seal windows and doorframes with weather stripping or caulk, and remove or cover window air conditioners to help to prevent drafts that waste energy and money.
  • Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter. Setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air down into a room.
  • Lower your thermostat by just one degree to potentially reduce your heating bill. Lowering it two degrees during the day and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.
  • Use a programmable thermostat to automatically manage your home’s heating and cooling needs.ENERGY STAR® estimates that homes with high heating and cooling bills, as well as homes that are unoccupied for much of the day, can save approximately $100 a year with an ENERGY STAR certified smart thermostat. In addition, PSEG Long Island offers rebates on smart thermostats.
  • Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs since, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in the home, and LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer.
  • Install timers and motion detectors to automatically manage indoor and outdoor lighting and help ensure lights are not on when they’re not needed.
  • Reduce “phantom power” by using energy efficient power strips or unplugging electronic devices when they’re not in use. Items plugged into outlets use electricity even when they’re turned off.
  • Customers on Time-of-Day rates can run the dishwasher, clothes dryer and other high-energy-use appliances outside of peak hours.
  • Customers on Time-of-Day rates can charge electric vehicles to run outside of peak hours.
  • Install a high efficiency air source heat pump (ASHP) to lower energy usage, save money and provide greater comfort in cold and hot months. Rebates are available from PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Program for ducted ASHP units and ductless mini split systems. Additionally, PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Plus program offers enhanced rebates for customers who meet certain income qualifications.

More money-saving ideas and rebate information are available at psegliny.com/saveenergyandmoney/energystarrebates.

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METRO photo

 Heating Assistance is Available for Eligible Residents

Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine announced on Oct. 30 that Suffolk County’s HEAP program begins November 1st. HEAP provides eligible households with their home heating expenses and emergencies throughout the winter months.

HEAP—the Home Energy Assistance Program—is a federally funded program that issues heating benefits to supplement the annual energy costs of eligible households. HEAP is administered in Suffolk County through the Department of Social Services (DSS). In addition, its alternate certifier, the Office for the Aging (OFA) assists in HEAP Early Outreach cases which are households that include seniors, the disabled, children under age 6 and last year’s regular HEAP recipients.

“When our most vulnerable residents can’t cover their fuel delivery or burner repair costs, and still put food on the table, they need to know we have funds available to help keep their heat on,” Suffolk County Executive, Edward P. Romaine, said. “HEAP is a safety net for homeowners and renters– because no one should have to choose between heating their home and feeding their family.”

Eligibility for regular HEAP benefits and the amount of assistance provided is based on factors that include household income, household size, the primary heating source, and in some cases the presence of a household member who is under age 6, age 60 or older, or permanently disabled. Emergency HEAP benefits eligibility is based on factors including income, available resources, and the type of heat or heat-related emergency. Heating equipment cleaning, tuning, repairing and replacement help is also available.

Important eligibility information, including maximum income limits per household, is available at otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/. Applications are accepted by mail, fax, online through www.mybenefits.ny.gov or in person at Suffolk County DSS locations in Deer Park, Smithtown, Coram and Riverhead. All non-emergency applications are processed at the same rate, so applying online is encouraged.

Anticipating a high volume of inquiries, the above DSS centers will have additional trained staff on hand to answer questions and assist applicants.

“If you or someone you know is struggling to pay for heating costs this winter please don’t wait to reach out to us—help is available now,” urged Suffolk County Commissioner of the Department of Social Services, John E. Imhof.  “We’re committed to supporting our community after business hours, too, so call us at (631) 854-9100 evenings, weekends and holidays for heat emergencies.”

Important application dates:

  • Regular HEAP with or without an emergency need opens Nov. 1, 2024;
  • Emergency HEAP and Emergency Heat-Related Utility benefits opens Jan. 2, 2025;
  • Heating Equipment Repair and Replacement & Clean and Tune benefits is open now;
  • HEAP Early Outreach criteria household benefits is open now.

Last year, HEAP assisted 52,000 Suffolk households with their home heating expenses and emergencies.

To learn more about the program visit https://otda.ny.gov/programs/heap/ or call the DSS HEAP Unit at (631) 853-8820 or OFA HEAP Line at (631) 853-8326.

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Photo from PSEG LI Facebook

As winter heating season approaches, PSEG Long Island reminds customers that programs exist to help people struggling with utility bills. There are also many ways they can lower their bills by using energy wisely.

“Colder weather is coming, which will mean higher heating costs. PSEG Long Island continues to work hard to provide our customers with safe, reliable energy at the lowest possible cost,” 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 also know many of our customers are struggling to pay bills, and we encourage them to reach out to us to enroll in a deferred payment agreement and learn about available financial assistance programs. We urge our customers to act now, and 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 $5,838 and still qualify for benefits. This benefit is scheduled to open 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 is scheduled to open on Jan. 2, 2024.  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 rate, which provides a discount of more than $35 on every electric bill, along with the Residential Energy Affordability Program providing energy efficiency measures and suggestions to help lower consumption.

How customers can lower their bills

The most effective thing customers can to do lower their bills is to use electricity more efficiently. Here are some helpful tips:

  • Replace inefficient incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs since, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, lighting accounts for about 15% of the electricity used in the home, and LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer.
  • Use a programmable thermostat to automatically manage your home’s heating and cooling needs. ENERGY STAR estimates that properly used programmable thermostats can save the average American household about $180 a year. In addition, PSEG Long Island offers rebates on smart thermostats.
  • Lower your thermostat by just one degree to potentially reduce your heating bill. Lowering it two degrees during the day and five to 10 degrees at night will save even more.
  • Install timers and motion detectors to automatically manage indoor and outdoor lighting and help ensure lights are not on when they’re not needed.
  • Ceiling fans can be used to save energy in winter. Setting a fan to rotate clockwise on low pulls cool air toward the ceiling, pushing warm air down into a room. 
  • Seal windows and doorframes with weather stripping or caulk, and remove or cover window air conditioners to help to prevent drafts that waste energy and money.
  • Reduce “phantom power” by using energy efficient power strips or unplugging electronic devices when they’re not in use. Items plugged into outlets use electricity even when they’re turned off.
  • Install a high efficiency air source heat pump (ASHP) to lower energy usage, save money and provide greater comfort in cold and hot months. Robust rebates are available from PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort Program for ducted ASHP units, ducted geothermal heat pumps and ductless mini split systems. Additionally, PSEG Long Island’s Home Comfort PLUS program offers enhanced rebates for customers who meet certain income qualifications.

More money-saving ideas and rebate information are available at https://www.psegliny.com/saveenergyandmoney/energystarrebates.

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