1. National Grid Arrears Management
NARUC
July 13, 2014 1

2. Territory – Large and Diverse

3. Strategy Main Components
Low Income Programs
Consumer Advocacy
Storm Restoration Efforts
Proactive Outreach & Education
Community Partnerships

4. Low Income Programs NY - Upstate
Description / Eligibility
Funding
Care and Share
Eligible customers must meet the income guidelines of the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) and can apply once they have exhausted all HEAP assistance available.
$250,000 from National Grid
Employee and Customer contributions
Administered by HeartShare
AffordAbility (LICAP) Program
Customer must have received HEAP in the past 14 months
Have NOT previously been on Affordability in the past 2 years
Demonstrated inability to pay their bill
Customer receives a basic monthly deferral rate of 5% or 7.5% deferred from their average monthly bill amount
$30 monthly arrears forgiveness credit
Recovered in Rates
Low Income $10.50 Gas Credit Program
Must have received HEAP in the past 14 months
Must be a Gas Customer or Gas & Electric
Low Income Electric Credit Program
$15 Credit Heating Customers
$5 Credit Non-Heating Customers
Must be an Electric Customer

5. Low Income Programs NY - Downstate
Description / Eligibility
Funding
Neighborhood Heating Fund
Eligibility
Resident of Brooklyn, Queens or Staten Island
HEAP eligible
$200 grant per year
$150,000 from National Grid
Employee and Customer contributions
Administered by Heart Share
On Track
Participation is up to 18 months
Eligible to receive up to $400 in allowances
Available to the first 2,400 Customers who qualify
Heating account customer with gross income of 250% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL)
A one or two family residence with arrears greater than $400
Must be able to maintain both a Level payment Plan and an affordable DPA
Recovered in Rates
KEDNY Residential Rate
$3.00 discount in the minimum charge for residential non-heating customers
$10.50 discount in the minimum charge for residential heating customers
Seasonal winter discount of 55% in the second rate block (November – April)
Automatic enrollment with receipt of HEAP
Eligible to 70,000 customers
Provide proof of current enrollment in one of the following programs:
Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Home Energy Assistance Program, Veteran’s Disability Pension, Veteran’s Surviving Spouse Pension, Child Health Plus

6. Low Income Programs NY – Long Island
Description / Eligibility
Funding
Project Warmth Fuel Fund
Eligibility
Resident of Nassau or Suffolk County or the Rockaways
Customer must have termination notice or
Financially unable to secure heating fuel of any type
$400 for oil, gas, electric heat, wood, etc.
$100 for LIPA Fuel Related Electricity
Opens December 1st
Last heating season distributed $525,073 to 1370 families
$150,000 from National Grid
Charitable Foundations and Corporate Sponsors and Residents of Long Island
Administered by United Way of Long Island
On Track
Participation is up to 18 months
Eligible to receive up to $400 in allowances
Available to the first 1,000 Customers who qualify
Recovered in Rates
KEDLI Residential Rate
$7.48 discount in the minimum charge for residential non-heating customers
$16.36 discount in the minimum charge for residential heating customers
Seasonal winter discount of 55% in the second rate block (November – April)
Eligible to 30,000 customers
Provide proof of current enrollment in one of the following programs:
Aid to Families with Dependent Children, Supplemental Security Income, Medicaid, Food Stamps, Home Energy Assistance Program, Veteran’s Disability Pension, Veteran’s Surviving Spouse Pension, Child Health Plus

7. Low Income Emergency Relief
Low Income Discount Program
110,753 customers received a one time $20 credit on their May bill, for a total of $2,215,060
AffordAbility Program 
 3,913 customers received a one time $250 arrears forgiveness credit, for a total of $978,250
Care and Share Program
 3,000 customers received an emergency grant of $250. Combined with the regular heating season, over 5,000 customers have received over $1M in Care and Share grants.

8. Consumer Advocates
The Advocacy Team Initiatives Focus on the Most Vulnerable Customers
Serious medical condition
Disability
Those struggling with an inability to pay their bill:
Defaulted payment agreements
Facing termination of services
Loss of service
Elderly
Unemployed / Underemployed
Veterans
Low Income
Lending a helping hand, the Consumer Advocacy Team goes the extra mile to help those in need.

9. Advocate Role in the Community

10. Veterans Campaigns

11. Customer Assistance EXPO
Newest Initiative – Life Can be Hard but finding assistance shouldn’t be
Purpose to provide a our low income customers a way to connect with the resources they need, all under one roof in one day

12. Customer Assistance EXPO
EXPO was held June 5th in the SUNY Educational Opportunity Center in Syracuse
In addition to our 4 consumer advocates, 18 vendors from the non-profit and government sector were available to provide information and assistance to low income customers.
Total attendance 300+
Advocates assisted 150 customers, plus 111 requests for call backs
Vendors included: DSS Social Services, HEAP, NYS PSC Outreach Division, Catholic Charities, SNAP, PEACE, Workforce for New York, EmPower, Office for the Aging and the Food Bank.
Planning other EXPO events in Albany, Utica, Canton and Buffalo

13. Customer Assistance EXPO
Customers beyond grateful, many in tears of gratitude as they found the help they needed with National Grid bills, our low income programs, food stamps, energy efficiency programs, rental assistance, and much more
Customer Comments:
"This was wonderful, when are you doing it again?"
"I didn't know National Grid had such nice people to talk to"
"You guys are truly angels for wanting to help people"
"Thank you so much for all the help"
"You really do have people who care"

14. HEAP Outreach National Grid HEAP Outreach 2013-2014 Season
New York - Upstate
New York - Downstate
Long Island
Disconnect Notice Insert
Inserted with notice throughout HEAP Season
Outbound Calling Campaigns
November
All HEAP Eligible Customers
Emergency HEAP Calls - January
Customers with Shut Off Notices
Interactive Voice Response (IVR)
Contact Center On hold message highlighting HEAP
LIHEAP Winter Ad
Financial Assistance Brochure
NYC Residential Customers
November Bill Insert
Outbound Calling Campaign
Final Notice Insert through HEAP Season