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CenterPoint Energy urges customers to evaluate billing and payment options as winter heating season ends

2021-03-15T05:00:00Z

Dayton, Ohio – March 15, 2021 – As the end of the winter heating season approaches, CenterPoint Energy wants to remind its customers who have received a disconnect notice or need bill payment assistance to contact the company online or call 1-800-227-1376 to make payment arrangements and avoid potential disconnection.

"As part of our commitment to our customers, we offer several programs and payment options to help those experiencing financial hardship effectively manage costs," said Richard Leger, Vice President of Natural Gas Distribution, Indiana and Ohio. "Those customers experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to notify CenterPoint Energy as soon as possible to make arrangements to avoid a possible interruption in service."

Customers can choose from the following free billing and payment options, as well as energy efficiency programs:

Payment Arrangement: Customers having difficulty paying bills in full can request a payment arrangement to fulfill the obligation in smaller increments over a set period of time. Eligible customers can request a payment arrangement by calling 1-800-227-1376.
Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP)/ Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP): Ohio customers seeking energy bill assistance should contact the Ohio Development Services Agency (ODSA). This agency administers the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) for income-eligible customers. To qualify for HEAP, your annual household income cannot exceed 175% of the poverty guidelines. During the winter, the ODSA also offers a program called Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program (E-HEAP) that provides assistance once per heating season to eligible households that are disconnected or threatened with disconnection. For HEAP or E-HEAP information, call the ODSA at 1-800- 282-0880.
Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus (PIPP Plus): PIPP Plus is an extended payment arrangement for eligible Ohio customers that requires regulated gas companies to accept payments based on a percentage of the household income. To qualify for PIPP Plus, annual household income cannot exceed 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. Contact the ODSA at 1-800-282-0880 for more information.
Energy Efficiency Resources: CenterPoint Energy has a wide offering of energy efficiency programs for customers, which can be found at www.centerpointenergy.com/smartsavings. Customers are also encouraged to apply for all residential (home ownership or rental) weatherization programs, including programs available through the local service provider.

About CenterPoint Energy

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission and distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of December 31, 2020, the company owned approximately $33 billion in assets and also owned 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,500 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Recent News

CenterPoint Energy kicks off the 2025 summer season by reminding customers of ways to save energy, manage bills and stay safe

HOUSTON — June 20, 2025 — Today marks the start of summer, and CenterPoint Energy is encouraging customers to prepare for the warmer temperatures ahead using company-offered tools, tips and resources. Customers can unlock savings with easy-to-implement energy efficiency actions and programs, while prioritizing safety as they work on outdoor home digging projects.

“At CenterPoint, we have tips, tools and programs to help customers save energy and manage their bills. The start of summer is a great reminder to prepare for the coming warmer temperatures. We encourage our customers to take steps to increase the energy efficiency of their homes so that they can continue to stay comfortable inside year-round while also reducing their energy use. By taking small and easy actions, customers can make a difference in reducing monthly energy bills," said Tony Gardner, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer.

Gardner continued, “We also want to remind customers to keep safety top of mind by dialing 811 before any home projects that include digging. By taking this easy step, our customers and community members help keep themselves, their loved ones and neighbors safe."

Tips, tools and resources for customers for energy and cost savings

Customers can do the following to stay comfortable while saving energy and money:

Turn up the thermostat when leaving home: Raise the temperature a few degrees when away from home for energy savings. With a smart or programmable thermostat, a cooling system can work around a customer's schedule.
Change or clean filters in HVAC systems: Air conditioning represents approximately 50 percent of a home's energy use when it's warm out. Regular maintenance can extend the life of a home's system, so change or clean filters to keep the system running efficiently.
Slay energy vampires: Energy drainers – also known as “energy vampires"– are electronic devices and appliances that suck up electricity by hovering in standby or ready mode without fully powering off. Save energy by turning off non-essential electric appliances, equipment and lights when not in use.
Use ceiling fans to circulate cool air: Setting ceiling fans to rotate counterclockwise helps circulate cool air and keep rooms at a comfortable temperature.
Keep warm air out: Use weatherstripping or caulk areas in and around a home where cooled air may escape, such as around windows and doors or anywhere else warm air might enter.
Block the sun's rays: When temperatures increase outside, keep window coverings closed when the sun is shining brightest to maintain a more comfortable indoor temperature.

Upgrade appliances and equipment: When replacing appliances and equipment, choose models with increased energy efficiency ratings for long-term cost savings. Rebates may be available for qualifying appliances.

Customers can learn more about tips and programs that can help them prepare for the longer and warmer days at CenterPointEnergy.com/SavingsTips.

Call before you dig

There's no time like summer to begin outdoor home improvement projects. Anyone planning a project that requires digging should contact 811 at least three business days before starting work to have underground utilities located and marked at no cost. This includes projects done by customers or their contractors, including gardening, building or repairing a fence, planting trees, installing a deck, placing a mailbox or laying a patio.

Visit 811BeforeYouDig.com to learn more about 811 and the process to have underground utility lines located and marked. For more information about natural gas safety, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.

Hurricane season preparedness
The start of summer means hurricane season is officially underway in the Greater Houston area. CenterPoint has been fully engaged in completing a series of historic resiliency improvements and preparedness activities, including:

Completing historic grid improvements: As part of the Greater Houston Resiliency Initiative (GHRI), CenterPoint has completed a series of critical resiliency actions ahead of schedule, including:

Installing 26,000 stronger, more storm-resilient poles;
Installing 5,150 automated devices;
Clearing high-risk vegetation from 6,000 miles of power lines;
Undergrounding more than 400 miles of power lines; and
Installing 100 weather stations to provide real-time weather monitoring.

Leveraging AI and emerging technologies: Collaborating with industry-leading technology providers, including Neara and Technosylva, to better predict and prepare for extreme weather impacts.
Working with emergency partners to get ready: Coordinating with local officials, emergency management offices and community partners to prepare for extreme weather events, including through joint emergency response exercises.
Donating and installing emergency generators to key locations: Working with local communities to provide backup generators to critical facilities and community centers that provide medical care, food and water, cooling and other essential services in emergencies.
Hosting customer and community hurricane preparedness events: Holding a series of community preparedness events and webinars to provide updates about CenterPoint's preparations for hurricane season, important safety tips and key resources for customers.
Enhancing critical storm response tools: Implemented sophisticated damage modeling to help expedite critical decision making before and during an event, as well as adopted a new storm management software program to more efficiently onboard and deploy mutual assistance crews in support of CenterPoint's emergency response efforts.
Upgrading CenterPoint's Outage Tracker: Launched a new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker to provide real-time updates on outages and restoration efforts, available in English and Spanish.

CenterPoint will continue to provide updates on its critical resiliency actions. More information is available at CenterPointEnergy.com/TakingAction.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is a multi-state electric and natural gas delivery company serving approximately 7 million metered customers across Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio, and Texas. The company is headquartered in Houston and is the only Texas-domiciled investor-owned utility. As of March 31, 2025, the company had approximately $44 billion in assets. With approximately 8,300 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been serving customers for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy is actively monitoring forecasted severe weather and preparing for potential system impacts in southwestern Indiana

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – June 18, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy is actively monitoring severe weather forecasts and preparing for any potential impacts of strong storms expected to move through southwestern Indiana today. The company is coordinating with emergency and agency partners and mobilizing resources across its service area to be prepared to respond to impacts and outages.

“We are closely monitoring the forecast and have taken steps to position crews, equipment and support teams across our service territory. We have a plan and we are executing our plan," said Shane Bradford, CenterPoint's Vice President, Indiana Electric. “Our teams are prepared to respond, if needed, and will work safely and efficiently to restore service once conditions allow."

Actions CenterPoint is Taking to Prepare
The actions CenterPoint is taking to prepare and respond include:

Pre-staging crews and equipment: CenterPoint crews and equipment are positioned across our service area to quickly respond to potential storm impacts once conditions have cleared.

Coordinating with government officials: Providing regular updates to state, county and city officials about our pre-storm activities and readiness posture.

Sharing information and updates: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers via email, phone or text, across social media platforms and other channels to keep customers informed and prepared.

Organizing additional call center staffing: Securing additional call center staff to handle a higher volume of calls during the storm and limit wait times.

Responding to Potential Impacts Across Service Territory
Across its Indiana Electric service area, CenterPoint is carefully monitoring severe weather and preparing to deploy frontline crews to efficiently clear storm debris, repair the grid and restore service to impacted customers as quickly and safely as possible.

Important Information for Electric Customers
CenterPoint electric customers are encouraged to enroll in the company's Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, text or email. Customers can also stay up-to-date on outages with CenterPoint's new and improved, cloud-based Outage Tracker, now available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages by county and zip code. The new tracker is capable of handling increased traffic during storms and is ADA- and mobile-friendly.

CenterPoint Encourages All Customers to Have a Plan to Stay Safe
CenterPoint is encouraging all customers to prepare and have a plan to stay safe during severe weather. Customers can get storm-related safety tips at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter. Additional preparations and best practices are available at Ready.gov.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint's Indiana account on X (formerly Twitter) for real-time updates. For more information and other resources, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

CenterPoint Energy Foundation encourages nonprofit organizations to apply for the final grant cycle of 2025

ALL REGIONS— June 17, 2025 — The CenterPoint Energy Foundation is currently accepting applications through July 18 for its final grant cycle of the year.

Grants are awarded to eligible nonprofit organizations whose primary location is in CenterPoint Energy's service areas and have programs supporting the Foundation's giving priorities of community vitality and education. The Foundation prioritizes programs serving low-to-moderate income families and under-resourced communities.

Funded separately and financially independent from the utility, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation strives to be a catalyst for good by leveraging everyday opportunities and resources to increase the vibrancy in the communities it serves.

“We're proud of the impact the CenterPoint Energy Foundation has in creating positive, meaningful change within the communities where we deliver electric and natural gas service," said June Deadrick, Vice President, Community Relations at CenterPoint Energy. “The Foundation remains committed to initiatives and programs enriching the lives of those living and working within our service areas, while building a foundation for a brighter tomorrow."

During its first grant cycle of 2025, the CenterPoint Energy Foundation awarded more than $8.6 million in grants to 199 nonprofit organizations in Texas, Minnesota, Indiana and Ohio, that are expected to result in community initiatives implementing the following actions:

Supplying nearly 490,000 free books to kids.
Supporting more than 280,000 hours of tutoring for students.
Investing in more than 2,400 units of affordable housing.
Funding more than 600 home repairs for low-income individuals.
Restoring or preserving more than 100,000 acres of natural habitat.
Planting more than 50,000 trees.
Connecting more than 6,500 teen and adult students to financial literacy, homeownership or budgeting training.

Starting in 2026, each of the two annual Foundation grant cycles will focus on specific funding priority pillars. The first cycle of 2026 will award grants for education efforts, while the second cycle will award grants to community vitality initiatives.

For more details on how the CenterPoint Energy Foundation is making a difference in the communities it serves and to apply for a grant, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

About the CenterPoint Energy Foundation
The CenterPoint Energy Foundation provides philanthropic support to meet the needs of communities where CenterPoint Energy customers live and work. The Foundation is funded by shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. More information about the Foundation can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/Foundation.

CenterPoint Energy sends large temporary emergency generation units to San Antonio to support state's energy needs and lower costs for Houston customers

Company delivers on unprecedented contribution of approximately $200 million of value to the State of Texas
First five of the 15 large temporary emergency generation units deployed to San Antonio area to help address regional power generation shortfall
Historic agreement with state and industry partners will help address Texas' power generation needs and lower bills for Houston-area customers by approximately $2 per month by 2027

HOUSTON, June 16, 2025 - This weekend, as part of an effort to help the State of Texas meet its current and future energy needs, CenterPoint Energy announced that the first five of 15 large temporary emergency generation units began leaving the Greater Houston area to be deployed to the San Antonio region. To help with staging and installation in San Antonio, the units are departing Greater Houston in a series of three waves over the next two months.

In total, CenterPoint will be providing 15 large temporary emergency generation units for up to two years as part of an unprecedented, Texas-driven solution reached in close collaboration over the last six months with the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), elected leaders, regulators and industry partners. In addition to helping reduce the risk of power generation shortfalls in San Antonio this summer and next, the cost of the deployed units will be removed from Houston-area customers' monthly bills, saving average CenterPoint customers approximately $2 per month by 2027.

"All Texans can be proud that this creative, collaborative solution is moving forward to help meet our great state's significant energy needs and improve reliability across Texas. This unprecedented contribution of value from CenterPoint to the state will help reduce the risk of energy shortfalls in San Antonio and will immediately lower monthly bills for our Houston-area customers. We look forward to successfully delivering the first five units and additional deliveries planned in the weeks ahead," said Jason Ryan, Executive Vice President of Regulatory Services and Government Affairs.

Key Facts: Delivering CenterPoint's Texas-Driven Generation Solution
In early June, ERCOT, CenterPoint and industry partners signed final agreements to begin delivery of the 15 large temporary emergency generation units for up to a two-year service period in San Antonio starting this summer. The plan includes the following components:

Lowering bills for Greater Houston-area customers: Costs associated with the large leased temporary emergency generation units will start coming out of rates for Houston electric customers in the coming months. By 2027, bills will be reduced by an estimated $2 per month for the average customer who uses 1,000 kWh/month.
Meeting Texas' current and future energy needs: The 15 large units (27MW-32MW) will provide critical generation capacity in the Greater San Antonio area to help avoid the risk of shortfalls. The units each provide enough power for approximately 30,000 homes and were acquired following the devastation of Winter Storm Uri across Texas in 2021.
Forgoing revenue and profit for 15 units: CenterPoint will receive no revenue or profit from the 15 large units based on the agreement with ERCOT.

A video summary of the large temporary emergency generation units leaving the Greater Houston area and b-roll footage of one of the units sent to San Antonio this weekend can be found here: CNP Digital Asset Mgmt

CenterPoint's role in the Texas electricity market
CenterPoint is an electric transmission and distribution company in the Texas market. The company does not own any power plants in Texas; other than the leased temporary generation units, CenterPoint does not generate any electricity in the state and does not purchase electricity on behalf of customers in Texas. It also does not have any electric customers in Texas outside the 12-county Greater Houston area.

Forward-looking Statements
This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will," "would" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which include statements regarding effectiveness, timing and related matters to the movement of the large temporary emergency generation units, are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) business strategies and strategic initiatives, restructurings, joint ventures, acquisitions or dispositions of assets or businesses involving CenterPoint Energy or its industry; (2) CenterPoint Energy's ability to fund and invest planned capital, and the timely recovery of its investments; (3) financial market and general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory, legislative and political actions or developments; and (5) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024 and CenterPoint's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 and other reports CenterPoint or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors and others should note that we may announce material information using SEC filings and the Investor Relations page of our website, including press releases, public conference calls, webcasts. In the future, we will continue to use these channels to distribute material information about the company and to communicate important information about the company, key personnel, corporate initiatives, regulatory updates, and other matters. Information that we post on our website could be deemed material; therefore, we encourage investors to review the information we post on the Investor Relations page of our website.

For more information, contact:
Communications
Media.Relations@CenterPointEnergy.com

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy

June Storms Update: CenterPoint Energy actively monitoring weather today and tomorrow for potential of localized flooding and continues responding to impacts from back-to-back thunderstorms in the Greater Houston area

HOUSTON — June 12, 2025 — Following severe thunderstorms across the Greater Houston area Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, CenterPoint Energy has maintained additional crews and temporarily paused the company's proactive, planned resiliency upgrades to focus on responding to electric outages and potential natural gas emergencies.

At the peak of Wednesday afternoon's storms, approximately 21,000 customers experienced an outage due to the severe weather. All customers who were able to safely receive power were restored within 12 hours of the storms moving through the Greater Houston area, before another round of severe weather began on Thursday morning.

At today's peak, approximately 18,000 customers were without power. Crews have worked to restore more than 85% of impacted customers within ten hours, and fewer than 2,500 customers remain without power as of 3:30 p.m. 99.6% of CenterPoint's customers did not experience power interruptions during these storms, which included widespread lightning, strong winds with gusts of 40-45 mph across parts of Brazoria and Galveston, and torrential rains with parts of Baytown and Crosby recording four inches of rainfall.

“Additional rounds of thunderstorms are forecast across the Greater Houston area tomorrow and into this evening, but today's storms are likely to be the most severe we experience this week. We continue to diligently monitor the weather's impact to our system and the potential for flooding conditions to develop across the Greater Houston area, and we will be ready to respond for our customers and communities. We urge customers to stay weather aware and make sure that if you see any damaged trees or downed power lines, stay at least 35 feet away and report damage to CenterPoint," said Matt Lanza, CenterPoint's Meteorology Manager and Emergency Preparedness and Response team member.

Flood safety tips

Avoid standing water, as it can hide chemicals that could make you sick, electrical hazards from downed powerlines and sharp debris.
Do not attempt to cross flowing streams, whether by vehicle or by foot. It is easy to underestimate the strength of the water's flow.
Never drive through flooded roadways. If your vehicle stalls, leave it immediately and move to higher ground. Be especially careful at night, when it is more difficult to recognize flood dangers.
Stay away from downed powerlines. Flood waters may put you closer to power lines that are typically much higher above you in dry conditions; stay alert and look out for overhead hazards.
Be aware that submerged outlets or electrical cords may energize standing water. Do not enter a flooded area until it has been determined safe to do so.
Do not touch a breaker or replace a fuse with wet hands or while standing on a wet surface.
If your home experiences flooding, keep the power off until a licensed electrician has inspected your system and has deemed it safe.
If you smell natural gas leave immediately on foot, do not use electric switches, cell phones, start a car or do anything that could cause a spark. Go to a safe location and call 911 and CenterPoint Energy.
Floodwater may shift your gas equipment or appliances, causing stress to the natural gas piping, which could result in a natural gas leak.
If water levels were high enough to cover the gas meter, contact us to have your meter checked for safety before using your gas system. Once your appliances are safe to operate, we will turn your gas service back on.

For more information and real-time updates, follow us on social media at X and visit our Outage Tracker.

We encourage customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times, as available or determined, and customer-specific restoration updates sent directly via email, text or phone call. To sign up, visit CenterPointEnergy.com/PowerAlertService.