With the Carolinas experiencing an extended period of freezing temperatures and potential snowfall, Piedmont Natural Gas is offering advice and resources to help customers manage higher energy usage and costs. The company notes that increased heating needs during cold weather are the primary reason for higher winter bills.
To help reduce energy consumption, Piedmont suggests several actions. Customers are encouraged to set thermostats to the lowest comfortable temperature and consider installing smart or programmable thermostats. Using sunlight to naturally warm homes by opening drapes during the day and closing them at night can also be effective. Regularly changing air filters, setting water heater temperatures to 120 degrees Fahrenheit, sealing cracks in the home, and running ceiling fans clockwise are additional recommendations.
Piedmont offers tools such as online gas usage history, an Energy Advisor tool for assessing home efficiency, and calculators for estimating annual costs of water heating, cooking, and clothes drying. The company has made a video available on its website explaining factors that affect natural gas bills.
For those looking to stabilize monthly payments, Piedmont provides a free Equal Payment Plan (EPP) program. This program averages a customer’s yearly usage into equal monthly payments to avoid surprises in billing.
Financial assistance is also available through programs like Share the Warmth, which provides funds via local agencies to help families with utility bills regardless of their energy source. Customers can find information about approved agencies at piedmontng.com/ShareTheWarmth. Additional support is offered through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps pay for various energy sources used in homes. Details on these programs and eligibility requirements can be found at piedmontng.com/AssistancePrograms or by visiting piedmontng.com/WinterBills for federal and state-specific information.
“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 residential, commercial, industrial, and power generation customers across North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee as a subsidiary of Duke Energy.
