As the winter heating season winds down, CenterPoint Energy is encouraging Ohio natural gas customers to explore available payment options and assistance programs.
In October 2025, CenterPoint launched a cold weather communications campaign to help customers prepare for what industry forecasts indicated would be a winter of higher heating costs. Winter Storm Fern brought the snowiest single day on record to the Dayton area in late January, surpassing the Blizzard of 1978. The winter weather drove increased heating demand and higher natural gas commodity prices nationwide, which can contribute to higher heating bills.
"We know that affordability is the top issue for many of our customers and we want you to know that there are resources available to help you manage your energy use and bills. Please reach out to us," said Mike Wilson, CenterPoint's Vice President, Ohio Gas. "Our teams are here to help and work with you. We can connect you with assistance programs, set up a payment plan or help you find ways to reduce your energy costs. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can help you find a path forward."
Steps customers can take now
Financial assistance programs and resources are available to help customers manage energy costs:
- Payment arrangements allow customers who are having difficulty paying their bill in full to set up a plan to pay in smaller increments over time.
- The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) provides financial assistance to income-eligible households with annual income at or below 175% of federal poverty guidelines.
- The HEAP Winter Crisis Program provides assistance once per heating season to eligible households that are disconnected or threatened with disconnection.
- The Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus) is an extended payment arrangement for eligible customers that bases payments on a percentage of household income.
For information on HEAP, Winter Crisis or PIPP Plus, contact the Ohio Department of Development at 1-800-282-0880.
The Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) provides eligible customers with energy efficiency improvements including furnace repair or replacement, insulation, air sealing and hot water tank repair or replacement. For more information, contact the Miami Valley Community Action Partnership at 937-341-5000.
Customers can also sign up for Budget Billing to level out monthly payments.
For more information or to explore available resources, customers can visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub or call 1-800-227-1376. A list of additional utility assistance programs is also available on the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio website.
