For Release: 09/17/2007
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas Urge Customers to Take Advantage of Financial Assistance Now
Encourage Energy Conservation to Help Manage Costs and Protect the Environment
Chicago, IL – Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas said today that customers can now begin applying for grants to help pay their natural gas bills. The grants are available to eligible customers through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The companies also took the opportunity to encourage all of their customers to conserve energy and implement energy efficiency strategies to help manage costs and protect the environment.
“Although it’s still warm outside, soon Chicago’s winter will begin to settle in and customers should act now to prepare for winter energy bills,” said Rodrigo Sierra, Vice President of Public Affairs, Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas. “The overriding message to our customers is the same as in previous years: do everything you can to reduce energy usage, consider the Budget Payment Plan to manage bills and seek financial assistance if you think you will have difficulty paying your natural gas bills this winter.”
Customers facing financial difficulty can apply as of September 1st for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The program is open now to seniors and those with disabilities. It will open on October 1st for customers who are currently without gas service. The program opens for all other eligible customers on Nov. 1. To apply for LIHEAP, Peoples Gas customers should call CEDA at 1-312-456-4100, and North Shore Gas customers call the LCCA at 1-847-249-4330.
Peoples Gas and North Shore Gas are urging customers to conserve energy through easy at-home steps that can reduce energy usage while also helping to manage energy costs and protect the environment. The companies offer energy and environment saving tips on their Web sites at www.keepingUwarm.com. The site offers a variety of conservation tips like weatherstripping doors and caulking around windows. It also includes other steps that customers can implement at home to save energy and water and also protect the air and land.
To help customers manage their energy bills, the companies offer a budget payment plan that keeps bill payments more consistent throughout the year. This plan offers stability that avoids the gas bill peaks of January's cold snap and the low gas bills during the summer. Customers can sign up for the Budget Payment Plan at www.peoplesgasdelivery.com or www.northshoregasdelivery.com. In addition, customers can simply pay the budget payment amount on their bill to automatically enroll.
About Integrys Energy Group, Inc.
Integrys Energy Group, Inc. (NYSE: TEG), headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, is a holding company for energy related subsidiaries which include:
Six regulated utilities consisting of:
- Peoples Gas, a natural gas utility serving more than 840,000 customers in the City of Chicago.
- Wisconsin Public Service Corporation, a regulated electric and natural gas utility serving more than 429,000 electric customers and 312,000 natural gas customers in northeastern Wisconsin and an adjacent portion of Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
- Minnesota Energy Resources Corporation, a natural gas utility serving approximately 207,000 customers throughout Minnesota.
- Michigan Gas Utilities Corporation, a natural gas utility serving approximately 166,000 customers in Lower Michigan.
- North Shore Gas Company, a natural gas utility serving 158,000 customers in the northern suburbs of Chicago.
- Upper Peninsula Power Company, an electric utility that serves approximately 52,000 customers in Michigan's Upper Peninsula.
The nonregulated subsidiaries include:
- Integrys Energy Services, Inc., a diversified energy supply and services company serving commercial, industrial and wholesale customers and aggregated groups of residential customers. Its principal market is the northeast quadrant of the United States and adjacent portions of Canada. Its principal operations are in Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Ohio, Texas, Virginia, and Wisconsin in the United States and Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec in Canada. Integrys Energy Services also owns and/or operates nonregulated electric generation facilities.
More information about Integrys Energy Group, Inc. is available online at www.integrysgroup.com.
For More Information, Contact:
- Rod Sierra
Vice President, Public Affairs
312-240-4567