For a Warm Tomorrow, Take Steps Today
Winter’s arrival in Ohio is inevitable. Going without heat doesn’t have to be.
Columbia Gas of Ohio reminds its customers that it is critically important for people to act now to ensure that they’ll have service when cold weather sets in.
By making sure that your heating equipment and your Columbia Gas of Ohio account are in order now, you’ll avoid problems when demand for heat is high and the resources of all those who provide it – your utility, heating contractors and plumbers – are stretched thin.
All customers should consider these steps:
- Test your furnace. Take the time today to test your furnace and ensure that it works properly. If you don’t discover a malfunction until the first freeze, you could have a hard time finding a heating contractor to make the repairs and, once it’s fixed, you could be stuck in a long line of folks waiting on Columbia to do inspections and re-establish service.
- Energize your efficiency. There are simple, inexpensive steps you can take today to make your home more energy efficient, like sealing air leaks with caulking and weather stripping. You can also install a programmable thermostat, which automatically dials down the heat when you’re not at home. (See attached list)
- Meter access. If you’ve got an indoor meter, you must make arrangements for Columbia to get inside and read your meter on the scheduled date that appears on your bill. If it’s outside, you need to trim plants, restrain pets and avoid fencing, storage or anything that obstructs the meter. Long-term estimated bills often lead to high-bill complaints, and can lead to shut-off.
Customers whose service is currently shut off, or those who are at risk to be shut off, should consider these options:
- The PUCO Winter Reconnect Order. Natural gas customers whose service is off for non-payment or those who have received disconnection notices can take advantage of this reconnect service today. No matter what you owe, you can get service restored or maintain service by paying $175 plus a small reconnection fee. For more information, visit PUCO or call the PUCO at 1-800-686-7826.
- Payment Plans. Any Columbia Gas of Ohio customer who feels that they might have a problem paying their winter heating bills needs to call the company today at 1-800-344-4077 for assistance in enrolling in a payment plan that can make those bills easier to handle. The earlier they call us, the more successful the results. It’s always easier and less costly, for both the customer and Columbia, to keep service on. But we have customers who simply ignore notices we send about outstanding balances. If we issue a termination notice, it means a bill has been unpaid for 60 days.
- E-HEAP. Beginning Nov. 1, qualified low-income customers are eligible for the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program, or E-HEAP, funds that can be used to pay the $175 reconnection fee. For more information, call the Ohio Department of Development at 1-800-282-0880.
For more information, please see our separate lists of Energy Assistance, Payment & Supplier Options and Natural Gas Efficiency and Safety Tips.
Columbia Gas of Ohio, with headquarters in Columbus, is one of the 10 energy distribution companies of NiSource Inc. (NYSE: NI). Serving approximately 1.4 million customers in 60 of Ohio’s 88 counties, it is the largest natural gas utility in the state. NiSource distribution companies serve 3.8 million gas and electric customers primarily in nine states.