UGI Utilities, Inc. has launched an Emergency Relief Program (ERP) to assist its Pennsylvania natural gas customers who have been economically affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The program is designed for UGI customers who have been financially impacted by the pandemic and are struggling to make timely natural gas bill payments.

The ERP consists of two components to help qualifying customers with their outstanding energy bills:

-- Installment Plan for both residential and business customers. Enrollment in this plan will allow qualifying customers to spread their outstanding UGI balance over a period of time. This will allow extra time to catch up on any outstanding balance.

-- One-Time Grant for residential customers. A one-time grant of up to $400 is available to eligible customers with a past due balance. Eligible customers include those who qualified for the Federal CARES Act Economic Impact Payment or who filed for unemployment benefits after March 13, 2020. This is not a loan and does not have to be paid back.

Customers who are eligible for the ERP must enroll prior to the bill payment due in December 2020. The new installment payment amount will take effect starting with the January 2021 billing period.

UGI natural gas customers interested in enrollment in the Emergency Relief Program can choose to use either:

-- Online enrollment at ugi.com/reliefnow.  Customers can complete a short enrollment form. Applicants will then receive a “DocuSign” Emergency Relief Program Agreement by email. DocuSign is an online tool that allows customers to securely upload documents demonstrating program eligibility. Information will be provided to applicants on how to submit documents via DocuSign.

-- Call UGI at (800) 276-2722.  UGI Customer Service Representatives are available Monday through Friday from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm and will be able to assist customers with enrollment in the program.

Following receipt of enrollment materials, UGI will evaluate whether customers who qualify should instead be enrolled in pre-existing UGI Low-Income programs.

Customers who are current on their bill are not eligible for the ERP but may be eligible for other UGI assistance programs.

The ERP complements UGI’s existing low-income assistance programs, as well as the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which will open on November 2, 2020. UGI’s existing low-income assistance programs include:

-- Customer Assistance Program (CAP), which offers qualifying income-eligible customers a monthly payment amount based on gross income, household size and energy usage.

-- Low Income Usage Reduction Program, or Weatherization, offers free installation of energy conservation measures to low-income households to help make energy bills more affordable.

-- Operation Share Energy Fund provides energy assistance grants to qualifying customers who experience difficulty paying their heating bills.

-- A.R.E.S. (Customer Assistance and Referral Evaluation Service) provides referrals to other helpful programs in the community. These programs can include LIHEAP, budget counseling, and State Weatherization or Office of Aging programs.

For more information, visit UGI’s Emergency Relief Program (ERP) webpage.

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10/19/2020