Piedmont Natural Gas is advising customers in the Southeast to take steps to manage their energy bills as colder weather approaches next week. The company, a subsidiary of Duke Energy, provides natural gas service to more than 1.2 million customers across North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Piedmont offers several online tools designed to help customers monitor and reduce their energy usage. These include access to monthly gas usage history, an Energy Advisor tool for evaluating home efficiency, and calculators for estimating annual costs related to water heating, cooking and clothes drying. Customers can also view a video on Piedmont’s website that explains factors influencing natural gas bills.
To help conserve energy during winter months without sacrificing comfort, Piedmont recommends setting thermostats to the lowest comfortable temperature and using programmable thermostats for greater efficiency when away or asleep. The company suggests taking advantage of sunlight by opening drapes during the day and closing them at night for insulation. Regularly changing air filters can improve heating system performance, while setting water heater temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or installing tankless heaters may yield additional savings.
Other recommendations include sealing homes with caulk or weatherstripping to prevent heat loss—potentially reducing heating and cooling bills by up to 20%—and ensuring air ducts are properly sealed. Adding insulation between indoor and outdoor spaces can further decrease energy demand.
Customers concerned about fluctuating winter bills can enroll in Piedmont’s Equal Payment Plan (EPP), which averages annual natural gas use into equal monthly payments for easier budgeting. “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,” according to the company.
Financial assistance programs are also available. Share the Warmth offers funds through local agencies for utility bill support regardless of energy source used. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) assists with payment for various home energy needs. “Piedmont says anyone in need can apply for this and other newly available programs to see if they qualify,” the company stated.
More information about these programs is available at piedmontng.com/AssistancePrograms and state-specific resources can be found at piedmontng.com/WinterBills.
Jason Wheatley serves as media contact for Piedmont Natural Gas.
