Annual Essential Service Program

Mid-Hudson Valley residents whose utility accounts are past due won’t have their electric service disconnected this winter under the annual “Essential Services Program” of Central Hudson Gas & Electric Corporation. The program is designed to meet the basic heating, lighting and cooking needs of customers who are having difficulty paying their electric bills during the coldest winter months, and is implemented typically early to mid-December through February.

“The program also protects the interests of the great majority of customers who pay for electricity on a timely basis, as unpaid account balances are ultimately spread across and collected through the bills of all our customers,” said Charles A. Freni, Senior Vice President of Customer Services.

Freni explained that during the program, an Essential Service Apparatus will be attached to an electric meter on a past due account to provide sufficient energy to operate a heating units, some lights, a refrigerator and an electric stove burner on a limited basis.
“If a customer uses more that a predetermined amount of electricity, the apparatus interrupts electric service, warning that the limit has been exceeded. The apparatus can then be reset by the customer to restore service for those limited needs,” Freni said. All of the utility’s existing notification procedures, including reminder notices and telephone and field contacts, will be completed before and Essential Services Apparatus is installed.

This apparatus provides essential electric service while giving the customer additional time to work out payment or other arrangements to re-establish full electric service, said Freni. “We will also continue to reach out to customers with our Extend-A-Hand Program, which was initiated to address the financial hardships being experienced by customers who are having difficulty making payments. The program packages options such as payment arrangements, referral services, and our Good Neighbor Fund in order to help them meet financial difficulties,” Freni said.

Additionally, customers experiencing a financial hardship are encouraged to seek assistance by applying for a Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) or an Emergency HEAP grant through their local Department of Social Services or Office for the Aging, he said. Customers eligible for HEAP grants may also qualify for EmPower New York, a free service offered by the New York Energy Research and Development Authority providing energy conservation measures and energy education. Program referrals are available through their local Department of Social Services, or Central Hudson.