Indiana Gas Utilities Renews Assistance Program

INDIANAPOLIS

All three gas utility companies in Indiana: Citizens Gas, Vectren and NIPSCO, consented to new rules governing the heating assistance program, called the Universal Service Fund Program, in time for the winter season.

The Universal Service Fund Program has assisted struggling customers of Citizens Gas, Vectren and NIPSCO for the past six years by providing a discount on their monthly bill, extra help in hardship cases and, in the case of NIPSCO, lump sum payments to help with deposits.

Earlier this year, the program expired eliminating the assistance for over 50,000 Hoosier households, alarming consumer organizations United Senior Action, Citizens Action Coalition and AARP Indiana who all joined the effort to get the program renewed.

The program was reauthorized by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) with revisions requiring larger contributions from the utility companies on November 18, 2009. By December 1, each company consented to the revisions and renewed their assistance programs.

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