With colder weather forecasted for the Southeast next week, Piedmont Natural Gas is encouraging customers to take steps to manage higher energy bills and maintain comfort in their homes.
The company recommends several measures to help reduce energy use. These include setting thermostats to the lowest comfortable temperature, using smart or programmable thermostats, and making use of sunlight by keeping drapes open during the day and closed at night. Regularly changing air filters, sealing cracks and openings with caulk or weatherstripping, ensuring air ducts are properly sealed, managing water heater temperatures, and adding insulation where needed can also contribute to lower heating costs.
Piedmont Natural Gas provides online tools for customers to monitor their gas usage history by month and identify patterns that could lead to savings. The Energy Advisor tool helps assess home efficiency based on personalized data. Calculators are available for estimating annual costs related to water heating, cooking, and clothes drying.
To assist with budgeting during periods of high usage, Piedmont offers an Equal Payment Plan (EPP) program. According to the company: “Piedmont’s free EPP program helps customers manage their budgets by leveling out a customer’s natural gas bills, allowing them to pay a predictable, equal monthly amount to help avoid billing surprises. Piedmont determines this payment by adding up a customer’s annual natural gas usage and then dividing it into the same payment amount each month.”
For those facing financial hardship, programs such as Share the Warmth provide funds through local agencies for utility bill assistance regardless of energy source. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is also available for qualifying households needing help with various energy expenses.
“Piedmont says anyone in need can apply for this and other newly available programs to see if they qualify. For more information, go to piedmontng.com/AssistancePrograms. For detailed federal and state-specific information, go to piedmontng.com/WinterBills and click on your state.”
Piedmont Natural Gas serves over 1.2 million customers across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee as part of Duke Energy’s operations.
More details about these tips and assistance programs can be found at piedmontng.com.
