Program for winter aid expires on Wednesday

Indianapolis, Indiana – On March 15, the Indiana Winter Moratorium came to an end.

Many Indiana residents may lose connection as a result of this.

On December 1, 2022, the statewide federally financed program went into force and affected consumers of AES and other utility companies, including the almost 900,000 customers of Duke Energy.

Households are still required to pay their bills, according to Duke Energy spokesman Angeline Protogere, but the plan was to prevent vulnerable clients from losing their electricity during the coldest months of the year.

A new initiative, though, will focus on Duke customers who might still find it difficult to pay off that debt.

“If you’re a Duke Energy customer, you’re coming out of the moratorium and you’re a part of this federally funded energy assistance program, we will automatically enroll you on a six-month interest-free payment plan if you have a balance due that is greater than $50,” Protogere said.

Through the statewide community action organizations known as “Share the Light,” the electricity company will also donate $300,000 in assistance funding.

Customers of Duke who are not enrolled in the federally subsidized program may qualify for further help. According to Protogere, the electricity firm requested a 16 percent rate reduction for the months of April, May, and June from the state utility regulators.

“That would save the average customer about $26 a month,” she said. “We saw soaring fuel costs to produce power in 2022, but now costs are stabilizing.”

Protegere advised contacting them personally if you are having trouble paying your electric payment.