Piedmont Natural Gas is advising customers in the Southeast to take steps to manage their energy bills as colder weather is expected next week. The company has outlined several tips and programs designed to help customers save on heating costs during the winter season.
Among the recommendations, Piedmont suggests setting thermostats to the lowest comfortable setting and installing smart or programmable thermostats for more efficient energy use when residents are asleep or away. The company also encourages making use of sunlight by keeping drapes open during sunny days and closing them at night to prevent heat loss through windows.
Other advice includes changing air filters regularly to avoid overworking heating systems, setting water heater temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, sealing seams and cracks around the home, ensuring air ducts are properly sealed, and considering additional insulation for ceilings, floors, and walls.
Customers can access tools such as online gas usage history, an Energy Advisor for personalized efficiency insights, and calculators for estimating annual costs related to water heating, cooking, and clothes drying. A video explaining natural gas bill factors is available on Piedmont’s website.
For those looking to stabilize their monthly payments, Piedmont offers a free Equal Payment Plan (EPP) program that spreads a customer’s annual natural gas costs into equal monthly payments. Information about this program can be found on their website.
Financial assistance options include Share the Warmth, which provides funds through local agencies regardless of energy source used by families. There is also support from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), with details available at piedmontng.com/AssistancePrograms and specific federal and state information at piedmontng.com/WinterBills.
“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 in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee as a subsidiary of Duke Energy.
Media contact: Jason Wheatley
Media line: 877.348.3612
jason.wheatley@duke-energy.com
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