Dominion Offers Budget Payment Plans, Energy Assistance Programs, Conservation Tips, Energy Choice As Ways To Offset Higher Gas Prices

July 23, 2003

Sharply higher national market prices for natural gas could mean higher bills for most energy customers. To help prepare for the upcoming heating season, Dominion customers can start thinking about ways to manage their winter heating costs through participation in available payment plans, considering alternative suppliers or by taking simple steps to conserve energy.

"It's never too early to start thinking about your options for the winter heating season," said Jay Johnson, president & chief executive officer of Dominion's energy delivery business, which has more than 4 million customers. "We want to reassure customers that Dominion offers an array of payment options that can help ease higher heating bills, and low-cost, no-cost tips on conserving energy."

Payment Plans

Budget Payment Plan
Pay a pre-established amount each month. Accounts are reviewed regularly to make sure you're not paying too much or too little. Customers must be current on their bills to be eligible for the plan. Call us at 1-800-362-7557 for more information.

Current-Plus Plan
For a customer with a past-due balance, there's the Current-Plus Plan to help better manage gas bills. Customers decide how many months-up to six-it will take to pay off their balance. Then the company divides the current account balance by the number of months selected, and adds that amount to the customer's current monthly bill. If a customer joins this or any other payment plan, the customer must make the required payments in full and on time. If a customer fails to do so, they will not be able to enter into another payment plan for one year after the day when the customer first started the original payment plan. Call Dominion at 1-800-362-7557 for more information.

Energy Assistance Programs

Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
PIPP helps eligible low-income customers maintain gas service by paying 10 percent of their total monthly household income all year. Customers can apply for PIPP by calling us at 1-800-362-7557. If a customer is no longer income-eligible for PIPP, or if the customer voluntarily leaves the program, the PIPP Repayment Program can help gradually pay off the total arrears.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)
Available to qualified income-eligible customers, HEAP is a government program that provides a credit for winter heating bills. Although HEAP pays part of the gas bill, it is not a guarantee against shutoff. Applications are available at post offices and libraries or by calling the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880.

Emergency HEAP provides an emergency payment once each heating season to qualified income-eligible customers. The payment must either avoid shutoff or restore gas service. Call HEAP toll-free at 1-800-282-0880.

EnergyShare
Sponsored by Dominion, the EnergyShare program is designed to help needy individuals and families pay any type of winter heating bill up to $175. Applicants must have exhausted all other forms of assistance before they are eligible. Contact a local Salvation Army office after Jan. 1, 2004, to apply.

Medical Certification Program
This program delays a shutoff when it would be especially dangerous and life-threatening to the health of a permanent member of the household. The program allows time to get financial help but doesn't reduce the amount of the bill. Call 1-800-362-7557 to request a form. A licensed physician or local Board of Health physician must sign the form.

Housewarming Program
Funded by Dominion, the Housewarming Program provides weatherization assistance to eligible customers. For more information, call 216-574-7100.

Weatherization Assistance
Eligible customers may also receive weatherization assistance from the Ohio Department of Development. This federally funded program provides grants for weatherization repairs. For details, call us at 1-800-362-7557 or the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880.

Customers can apply for PIPP, HEAP, Emergency HEAP and Weatherization Assistance on a combined application. The form is available at post offices, libraries, by calling the Ohio HEAP office at 1-800-282-0880, visiting their web site, or by calling Dominion East Ohio at 1-800-362-7557.

Energy Choice Program

Under Energy Choice, participating customers may choose to purchase natural gas from approved suppliers, who in turn rely on Dominion to deliver the gas. Customers can check the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's "Apples to Apples" chart, which provides information on participating Energy Choice suppliers and their current offers and prices, by calling the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio's toll-free Gas Choice Infoline at 1-800-299-7271 or visiting their website. Residential customers can direct questions and receive free Energy Choice information by contacting the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, toll-free, at 1-877-742-5622 or visit their website.

Conservation Tips

  • Change furnace filters according to the manufacturer's instructions; get an annual furnace inspection.
  • Caulk and weather strip windows and add door sweeps beneath doors.
  • Close off unused rooms. There's no reason to heat these areas.
  • Install storm windows and doors; they can reduce heat loss in these areas by 50 percent.
  • Turn down the hot water tank's thermostat to medium.
  • Reduce cooking time and energy by covering pots, pans and casserole dishes.
  • Don't peek. Every time the oven door opens, consumers pay a penalty of 25 degrees from lost heat.
  • If the gas flame on a cook top is visible on the sides of the pan, lower the setting to conserve fuel.
  • Always dry full loads of clothes to make the best use of appliances and energy dollars.
  • Clear the lint screen on dryers after each load for the quickest drying.
  • Keep a kitchen timer in the bathroom, and cut shower times to three minutes.
  • Switch to lower water temperatures for clothes washing and rinse in cold water.

For more tips, go to www.dom.com and enter "tips" in the search box.

Dominion is one of the nation's largest producers of energy, with a diversified and integrated energy portfolio that includes 24,000 megawatts of generation and 6.1 trillion cubic feet equivalent of proved natural gas reserves. Dominion also serves 5 million retail energy customers in nine states. For more information about Dominion, visit the company's Web site at www.dom.com.

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CONTACTS:    
Media: Jeff Zidonis, (216) 736-6228,  
  Neil Durbin, (216) 736-6239  
  Toll-free in Ohio, 1-800-556-4400  
  Peggy Ehora, (419) 226-4866 (in Lima)