As summer heat drives up electricity use and utility bills, National Grid is bringing a series of customer assistance events to Worcester County, offering residents in-person help with payment plans, energy-saving programs and ways to lower monthly costs.
Grid hosts 11 events across Worcester County through the end of July and August, including sessions in Worcester, Dudley, Grafton, Southbridge and Uxbridge. A statewide virtual bill assistance webinar is also scheduled for Aug. 3.
The outreach is part of National Grid’s Summer Cooling campaign, which aims to connect customers with financial assistance programs and practical ways to manage energy costs during the hottest months of the year.
At the events, customers can meet with National Grid representatives to discuss billing questions, enroll in payment assistance programs and learn about options including budget billing, the Tiered Discount Rate Program, the Arrears Management Program and the company’s recently introduced Payment Assistance Bundle.
“Our in-person and virtual events aim to make it easy for customers to get the support they need, from billing questions and payment assistance, but also to highlight the small changes they can make this summer to stay cool and keep energy costs down,” Bill Malee, National Grid’s chief customer officer, said in the company’s announcement.
The Payment Assistance Bundle combines three programs designed to help customers manage overdue balances and stabilize monthly bills. According to National Grid, it includes a deferred payment agreement that spreads past-due balances over future monthly payments, automatic monthly bank payments and a budget billing plan that averages annual energy costs into consistent monthly bills.
Several events are scheduled in Worcester throughout the summer, including stops at El Buen Samaritano on Country Club Boulevard and Piedmont Street, the Worcester Community Action Council on Chestnut Street, Saint Joan of Arc Parish on Lincoln Street, the Worcester Public Library and the Green Island Neighborhood Center.
Additional Worcester County events will be held at the Grafton Council on Aging, the Uxbridge Senior Center, the Southbridge Family Resource Center and the Pearle L. Crawford Memorial Library in Dudley.
National Grid will also host a free virtual Summer Bill Assistance Webinar from noon to 1 p.m. on Aug. 3. The session covers bill management options, payment plans and available financial assistance programs. Customers who register but cannot attend live receive a recording and presentation materials afterward.
In addition to financial assistance, National Grid is encouraging customers to reduce summer energy use by setting thermostats a few degrees higher, using fans alongside air conditioning, keeping blinds closed during the hottest parts of the day and charging electric vehicles overnight to take advantage of off-peak hours.
More information about assistance programs and event registration is available through National Grid.
