Eversource offers sessions on payment programs
Eversource Energy is hosting a pair of online webinars Wednesday to give customers possible solutions if they have fallen behind on their energy bills.
The utility, which has headquarters in both Hartford and Boston, will host the webinars at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. The webinars will cover a wide variety of payment issues, including: Protection from service disconnection. Programs to reduce unpaid balances with affordable monthly payments. Extended payment plans.
No-cost energy efficiency programs to lower energy bills.
Advance registration for the webinars is required. Customers can sign up for either session at Eversource.com/BillHelp.
About three out of every four of Eversource’s 1.1 million residential electric customers are behind on their bill payments, according to company spokeswoman Tricha Modifica. Among the utility’s 217,000 residential natural gas customers, 144,000 are not current in their payments.
Jess Cain, Eversource’s vice president of customer operations, said company officials want customers “to take advantage of the programs available to help them with their energy bill.”
“Customers who’ve never needed assistance previously may not realize they qualify for protection from service disconnection and may also be eligible for other programs to reduce past due balances,” Cain said in a statement.
One of the items covered in the webinars is the company’s Matching Payment program. Under this program, customers can set up an affordable monthly payment arrangement with Eversource for as low as $50 a month for those receiving certain government benefits.
Another payment plan that will be covered is the New Start program, which allows income-eligible electric customers to reduce or eliminate their outstanding balance in as little as 12 months. Eversource will make up the difference between what the customer owes and a pre-arraigned monthly payment.
The company’s COVID-19 Payment plan is available to any customer, residential and business, that requests financial assistance. Under this plan, customers don’t need to demonstrate financial need, are not required to make an initial down payment, and can take up to 24 months to pay.
Customers enrolled in the COVID-19 Payment program who are current with their payment can not be disconnected even once service disconnections resume, according to company officials.