PSE&G Hosts Passaic and Paterson Community Organizations to Help Residents Apply for Heating Assistance

Programs are available to help cash-strapped families

NEWARK, N.J., March 13 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Two non-profit organizations dedicated to assisting financially strapped individuals and families are available at PSE&G’s Passaic and Paterson Customer Service Centers to help residents apply for help in paying utility bills.

Representatives of the United Passaic Organization will be at the Customer Service Center at 651 Main Avenue in Passaic Mondays through Thursdays from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Members of the Paterson Task Force will be at the utility’s Paterson Customer Service Center at its new location at 301 Main Street daily from 9:00 a.m. – noon and from 1:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. Onsite intake will be available at both centers until April 30th, the end of the LIHEAP intake season.

Both organizations will determine what programs customers qualify for and assist with the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application process. LIHEAP is based on income and family size and provides an average benefit of $450 to thousands of lower-income residents (see chart below):

                               LIHEAP Income Guidelines
                                   Fiscal Year 2009
                       Household Size         Monthly Gross Income
                             1                        $1950
                             2                        $2625
                             3                        $3300
                             4                        $3975
                             5                        $4650
                             6                        $5325
                             7                        $6000
                             8                        $6675
                             9                        $7350
                            10                        $8025
                            11                        $8677
                            12                        $8854

             Note: To determine eligibility for household sizes greater than
                       12, add $177 for each additional member

“We appreciate the work these two organizations do to improve people’s lives,” said Joseph Forline, PSE&G’s Vice President of Customer Operations. “Having them on site at our centers will ensure that many of our Paterson and Passaic at-risk customers take advantage of these vital programs.”

Information and eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP, NJ Shares and other financial assistance programs are available on the utility’s Web site at: www.pseg.com/billpaymentassistance.

Information can also be found by calling the Department of Community Affairs at 1-800-510-3102, or online at http://www.state.nj.us/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/eap.html

Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G) is New Jersey‘s oldest and largest regulated gas and electric delivery utility, serving nearly three-quarters of the state’s population. PSE&G is the winner of the ReliabilityOne Award for superior electric system reliability. PSE&G is a subsidiary of Public Service Enterprise Group Incorporated (PSEG) (NYSE: PEG), a diversified energy company (www.pseg.com).

SOURCE Public Service Electric and Gas Company (PSE&G)