Take Control of Your Natural Gas Bills!
Contact: Bob Innes
(804) 768-6410
(804) 512-1425 - cellular
rinnes@nisource.com
ColumbiaGasVa.com
Take Control of Your Natural Gas Bills!
Columbia Gas of Virginia Offers Budget Payment Plan
CHESTER, VA. – May 12, 2010 – Are you struggling to pay bills because of the current economy? Columbia Gas of Virginia (Columbia Gas) has a simple way to manage your natural gas bills by enrolling in the Budget Payment Plan . This free service spreads your total annual energy cost more evenly over the year so you can plan ahead.
Why You Should Join Budget Payment Plan?
By enrolling in the free Budget Payment Plan, you can get a jump on next winter and manage your household’s energy budget. There are four key reasons customers join the Budget Payment Plan. They include:
1. You know how much you’ll pay each month.
2. Reduce the impact of winter heating bills.
3. Spread your heating costs more evenly over the year.
4. Enjoy peace of mind without surprise bills.
Columbia Gas determines the individual budget payment amount based on the natural gas usage at a specific address, historic normal seasonal temperatures, and the current and estimated cost of natural gas. The budget payment amount is based only on charges for your utility service. Any contributions to the Columbia Gas energy assistance fund, HeatShare, or charges for Optional Services are added to the budget amount for a total amount due. Each account is reviewed periodically to keep the account on track should unexpected swings in weather or the price of natural gas impact your actual account balance. Adjustments will be made to reflect any changes if necessary. All Columbia Gas customers are eligible for the Budget Payment Plan as long as their account is current.
Three Easy Ways to Join!
1. Bill payment – the May bill will have a personal budget amount appearing on the individual bill. A customer can simply pay that amount and they will be automatically enrolled.
2. Online – Go to ColumbiaGasVA.com and log in to “manage your account” to find the personal budget amount and enroll online.
3. By phone – Call 1.800.543.8911 and at the prompt, select option 1. A Columbia Gas representative will assist you in enrolling in the budget payment plan.
“The free budget payment plan is a great tool in managing energy costs during these uncertain economic times,” said Carl Levander, president, Columbia Gas. “More than 58,000 Columbia Gas customers are already enjoying the benefits of spreading your natural gas payments evenly throughout the year.”
Electronic Payment Options
Columbia Gas offers two additional ways to save money and our natural resources. ZipCheck is a no-hassle plan that provides customers the option to pay their natural gas bill on time each month by automatically transferring the amount of the monthly bill from their personal bank account. A customer will receive the monthly bill to review prior to having the bank submit payment. This free plan saves the customer postage and check expenses.
The other free program is Direct e-Bill, a paperless billing service, which saves the energy and natural resources required to produce paper bills. Instead of getting a paper bill in the mail, a customer will receive an e-mail notification that their Columbia Gas bill is available to view on ColumbiaGasVa.com and they can pay their bill electronically at no charge.
###