CenterPoint Energy Provides Guidelines for Customers about Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule

Customers must take steps to prevent natural gas service from being disconnected

MINNEAPOLIS – October 08, 2008 – CenterPoint Energy is reminding customers about their rights and responsibilities under the Cold Weather Rule (CWR), which protects residential customers having difficulty paying their natural gas bill from having their natural gas service disconnected from October 15 through April 15. It does not completely stop winter disconnection but it does provide customers extra protection as defined in the rule. To obtain extra protection, residential customers must:

contact CenterPoint Energy to establish a CWR payment plan
maintain their payment plan obligations

“We want our customers to understand the steps they need to take to restore their disconnected service and prevent future disconnections under the Minnesota Cold Weather Rule,” said David Baker, vice president of operations for CenterPoint Energy. “If a customer does not establish and keep a CWR payment plan, the customer is subject to having their natural gas service disconnected.

More than 140,000 customers still owe over $43 million in past-due bills. If a customer receives a Notice of Proposed Disconnection, needs service reconnected, or anticipates having trouble paying their natural gas bill in full, they are urged to call CenterPoint Energy to enter into a payment plan. The payment plan will cover what is owed and the amount to be billed and will take into consideration a customer’s financial circumstances and other extenuating circumstances. The payment plan must also be agreeable to both the customer and CenterPoint Energy. If an agreed-upon payment plan cannot be reached, customers have a right to appeal under the rule.

Customers who receive energy assistance are automatically eligible for protection under the CWR, but they must contact CenterPoint Energy to establish a payment plan. Company representatives are available to refer customers to agencies that may be able to help customers pay their natural gas bill and qualify them for CWR payment plans. Under the CWR, special payment terms are available to customers who provide proof of income and to customers who meet income guidelines set by the state of Minnesota but do not receive energy assistance.

To qualify for CWR protection, contact CenterPoint Energy to set up a payment plan today at 1-612-372-4680 or 1-800-729-6164. For information about the Cold Weather Rule please visit on the web at CenterPointEnergy.com/readyforwinter.

If customers are interested in helping others pay their bill, they can support the Salvation Army’s HeatShare program. Visit www.Heatshare_MN.org to make a donation.