Help with Bill

We strive to provide you with reliable and essential energy delivery.

Our work doesn’t stop there—we also have many services designed to meet the variety of needs you or your family members may have.

Understanding your energy use can help put you in control of your monthly bills. With natural gas costs expected to increase in the coming months, you can prepare by using these tips to reduce your energy use while maintaining your comfort. Budget Billing can also help balance seasonal energy costs over the year.
 

Qualifying for Financial Hardship

You may qualify for financial hardship status. To see if you qualify:

1. Contact us at 800.659.8299; OR
2. Contact your local Community Action Agency (CAA) 

You automatically qualify if you receive certain State benefits such as:

• SSI – Disability/Supplemental Security Income
• TANF – Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• SAGA – Standard Administered General Services
• WIC – Woman, Infants and Children
• SNAP – Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program

You will be asked to provide documentation of public benefits when you contact UI or your local CAA.

If you don’t receive State benefits, you may still qualify based on your income.

To  be eligible for income-based assistance programs, your household income must be at or below 60% of the State Median Income:

2024-2025 Income Eligibility Guidelines

How much money can you make to be at or below 60% of the state median?

The following documentation is all that is needed when you call us or your local CAA: 

• Unemployment 
• Employed (Weekly - last 4 pay stubs, Biweekly - last 2 paystubs, Monthly - last paystub)
• Self-employed (most recent year 1099 Tax Form)
• Social Security 
• Child support, pension, retirement, or other
   

We're here to help

We offer several programs to assist customers financially with their bill. In addition, there are a variety of state programs that may be able to provide you with financial assistance with your utility bill.
 

Customer Support Webinar: Payment Plans and Assistance Programs

There are a variety of payment plans and assistance programs to help you control your energy costs and reduce your usage. These include Flexible Payment Arrangements, our Home Energy Solutions (HES) program, and UI’s Low-Income Discount Rate (LIDR). If you’re interested in learning more, please watch the video below. We’re eager to assist you in finding the program that best suits your needs.

Southern Connecticut Gas Assistance Programs

Home Energy Solutions-Income Eligible (HES-IE) - Provides valuable weatherization measures to help renters and homeowners reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. This program provides services to income-eligible electric, natural gas, propane and oil heat customers

Winter Protection Program - SCG offers winter protection to all our customers that qualify. If you meet eligibility requirements, we will not turn off your natural gas between November 1 and May 1. The Winter Protection Plan must be renewed annually, beginning in October. To prevent your service from being shut-off after May 1, contact SCG to setup a payment arrangement.

Matching Payment Program - Available to residential customers, this program is designed to help lower energy bills for those who can demonstrate financial hardship. We will match every dollar paid by you or on your behalf up to a zero balance.

Flexible Payment Arrangements - We will work with you if you are having trouble paying your gas bill. We offer flexible payment arrangements for all customers needing assistance. These arrangements can be spread out up to out up to 18 months for residential customers and 6 months for non-residential customers. Current payment arrangements may be renegotiated due to a change in financial circumstances Per Conn. Agencies Reg. § 16-3-100(b)(3)(A). These arrangements may be discussed confidentially by calling our Customer Care Center at 800.659.8299.

Medical Protection - Medical protection is available to residential customers or family members within the household with a serious or life-threatening medical condition.

A medical protection designation protects a residential utility customer from shut off from November 1 through May 1 (serious illness designation) or year-round (life-threatening designation) if the residential customer or someone in their household has a medical condition that requires continuation of utility service.

Please see our fact sheet for how to apply for a medical protection designation.

Your physician/APRN/PA can use the Medical Web Portal to complete the certification form. The medical portal allows medical professionals and authorized agencies to protect eligible utility customers from possible disconnection for non-payment of utility service. By using the medical portal, the physician/APRN/PA are certifying that their patient has a medical condition and must be afforded protections from termination of service for non-payment under the applicable state laws and regulations.

State Assistance Programs

Operation Fuel - Operation Fuel provides emergency energy and utility assistance to households in Connecticut that are facing a financial crisis. Operation Fuel offers year-round energy and utility assistance for safe drinking water, fuel for cooking meals for your families, heat to keep your family warm in the winter, and electricity for refrigerating your insulin at safe temperatures and to power your lifesaving home medical devices. Applications for the Winter/Spring season are now open! Visit www.operationfuel.org/gethelp for more information.

Info Line - 2-1-1 InfoLine is a single source for information about community services, referrals to human services, and crisis intervention. It is accessed toll-free from anywhere in Connecticut by simply dialing 2-1-1. It operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. TDD access and multilingual caseworkers are available.

Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) - The federally-funded Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is designed to help low-income households pay their winter heating bills. CEAP is not designed to pay total heating costs. Households must plan to pay a part of the bill themselves. CEAP applications are handled by the local Community Action Agency (CAA).

Community Action Agencies

Community Action Agencies are intake centers for energy assistance applications and assist you with finding financial assistance for your energy bills. Visit CAFCA.org for a list of Community Action Agencies in the state.

For additional information on the programs listed above click on the available brochures: 

• Struggling to Pay Your Energy Bill? / ¿Tiene dificultades para pagar su factura de energía?  
• Matching Payment Program
• Medical Protection

Folletos en español

• Programa de pago coincidente

Disputing a Payment Arrangement

If you are unable to reach a satisfactory Payment Arrangement with our customer representative, you may ask to speak with a company Review Officer. If you disagree with a Review Officer’s decision concerning a Payment Arrangement, you may appeal within five days to the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA). If you disagree with PURA’s decision, you may request a hearing before PURA. During your appeal, your service will not be shut off, as long as you continue to pay your current and undisputed bill amounts during this period.

Disputar Un Arreglo De Pago

Si no logra llegar a un Arreglo de Pago satisfactorio con nuestro representante de atención al cliente, puede pedir hablar con un oficial de revisión. Si no está de acuerdo con la decisión del oficial de revisión sobre el Acuerdo de Pago, puede apelar dentro de los cinco días al Ente Regulatorio de Servicios Públicos (Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, PURA) de Connecticut. Si no está de acuerdo con la decisión de PURA, puede solicitar una audiencia ante PURA. Durante la apelación, su servicio no se interrumpirá, siempre y cuando usted siga pagando los montos actuales de su factura que no estén en disputa durante este plazo.

Energy Efficiency Programs and Rebates

SCG offers a variety of energy efficiency programs and rebates to help you manage your energy costs. Start with Energy Analyzer and get targeted energy efficiency information, advice and support to help you achieve savings.

Additional energy efficiency resources and assistance, including energy assessments and rebates and incentives, can be found at energizect.com.

To have a better understanding of new and historical metrics related to energy affordability for the State of Connecticut, click here.

Customer Rights

Read your customer rights if your gas service is subject to termination. Download a PDF in English and Spanish.