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CenterPoint Energy urges customers to take advantage of utility assistance and resources to help pay heating bills

As Cold Weather Rule protection ends, CenterPoint encourages eligible Minnesota customers to apply for assistance and use bill management resources and energy efficiency programs

2025-04-29T05:00:00Z

Minneapolis – April 29, 2025 – CenterPoint Energy is reminding customers that Minnesota's Cold Weather Rule protection is ending for the winter heating season. The Cold Weather Rule protects Minnesotans who experience difficulty paying heating bills from having their utility service disconnected between Oct. 1 and April 30 if they set up and maintain a payment plan with their utility.

To prevent disconnection of service with the Cold Weather Rule ending for the season, customers who have difficulty paying their monthly heating bill should contact CenterPoint as soon as possible to set up a payment plan and find out if they are eligible for other resources. A payment plan takes into consideration a customer's financial situation and any other special circumstances.

Payment assistance is also available for Minnesotans' heating bills on a first-come, first-served basis while funds remain. Minnesota's Energy Assistance Program is administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce and helps cover home heating costs for income-qualified households. Both renters and homeowners can qualify, with eligibility based on income and household size. For example, a family of four who earn up to $70,552 annually could qualify to receive assistance.

Customers can call CenterPoint at 800-245-2377 between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., Monday-Friday, or visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ResourceHub.

Bill management resources available to customers
CenterPoint customers can enroll in an Average Monthly Billing Plan, which spreads costs throughout the year to help manage periods of peak usage such as the winter heating season, at CenterPointEnergy.com/MyAccount or by calling 800-245-2377.

The company also offers its free My Energy Analyzer tool to aid customers in better understanding household energy use and where energy dollars are being spent. Using this tool, customers can identify ways to reduce energy waste and save on their monthly heating bills.

Residential energy efficiency programs help save energy and money
CenterPoint offers various energy efficiency programs for residential customers, including renters, to help them save energy and money. For qualifying customers, programs may be available at no cost or a reduced rate. Programs include:

Home energy assessment: CenterPoint and Xcel Energy's Home Energy Squad® helps residential customers, including renters, accelerate their energy efficiency journey. Customers receive a home energy audit, personalized energy savings plan with recommendations to reduce energy waste and can get connected to qualified contractors and rebates. Visits may be free or discounted for customers who qualify.
Air sealing and insulation rebates: By installing air sealing and insulation measures, customers can maintain a comfortable indoor temperature while reducing energy use. Residential customers can receive rebates of up to $3,000 for work completed by a qualifying contractor.
Rebates to upgrade home appliances and equipment: CenterPoint offers rebates for customers upgrading to more energy-efficient appliances and equipment including furnaces, boilers, water heaters and air source heat pumps.

Customers are encouraged to take advantage of energy efficiency offerings and resources to assist in managing their monthly energy bills. More information on rebates and efficiency programs can be found at CenterPointEnergy.com/SaveEnergy.

CenterPoint Energy is Minnesota's largest natural gas utility, serving more than 930,000 residential and business customers in over 260 communities.

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.

Recent News

Storm restoration update: 96% of CenterPoint Energy customers not impacted by significant weather as restoration efforts continue; Crews mobilized and responding to localized impacts across Greater Houston area

HOUSTON – May 20, 2026 – As significant rain and thunderstorms continue to impact the Greater Houston area, CenterPoint Energy is actively responding to weather-related outages for its customers and will continue responding to further storm impacts. Approximately 96% of CenterPoint's 2.9 million customers were not impacted by the overnight waves of storms. CenterPoint crews and contractors have restored power to approximately 95,000 customers since storm conditions began Tuesday evening. The average restoration time per outage was less than 79 minutes.

As of 5 a.m. Wednesday, crews continue working to restore the less than 15,000 customers without power and will continue working until every customer is restored.

Emergency response efforts are being coordinated from CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center (EOC), and CenterPoint's enhanced workforce of frontline workers and contractors are focused on restoring power to the remaining impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.

“We know how disruptive outages can be for our customers. That's why our focus remains on restoring service for those affected by this storm event safely and as quickly as possible. Our Emergency Operations Center will remain activated as our crews continue working around the clock to respond to isolated outages across the Greater Houston area," said John Cornelius, CenterPoint's Vice President of Distribution Operations and Overnight Incident Commander.

Actions CenterPoint is Taking to Respond

To prepare for severe storms and respond to severe weather impacts for its customers, CenterPoint has taken the following actions:

Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts for its customers, CenterPoint proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center at 8 a.m. yesterday morning.
Mobilizing frontline crews: Frontline personnel are actively responding to impacted areas and will remain ready to support further restoration efforts.
Monitoring weather conditions 24/7: The meteorology team continues to track forecast developments, and the company is updating response plans as conditions evolve.
Pre-positioning resources: Response teams were pre-positioned crews across the area to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
Coordinating with local officials: The Incident Command team is providing regular updates to local officials and emergency management partners.
Keeping customers informed: CenterPoint is providing information directly to customers via email, phone, text and other channels to keep them informed and prepared.

Commitment to Keeping Customers Informed

Customers can also stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly), which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Public Safety Message

CenterPoint is urging the public to put their safety first. Customers are urged to stay away from low-hanging or downed power lines. To report downed lines or another electrical emergency that requires immediate attention, please call 911 if necessary, then immediately contact CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.

Be alert for the smell of natural gas. If you smell natural gas, leave the area immediately on foot. Do not attempt to turn gas valves on or off; instead, call 1-888-876-5786 and CenterPoint will send a technician.  

For additional information and safety tips, follow CenterPoint on social media and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
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 Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Essentially all CenterPoint Energy customers impacted by overnight and early morning storms have been restored across the Greater Houston area

As of 2 p.m., approximately 180 CenterPoint customers are without power from overnight storms

CenterPoint's Emergency Operations Center will remain in an elevated state of readiness given forecasted severe weather through the Memorial Day holiday weekend

HOUSTON – May 20, 2026 – As thunderstorms traveled across CenterPoint Energy's electric service territory overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, more than 95% of its 2.9 million customers across the Greater Houston area experienced no impacts to their electric service. Essentially all CenterPoint customers who were impacted by the storms and can safely receive power have now been restored. Approximately 133,000 customers have been impacted since a line of storms began moving through the area around 9 p.m. on Tuesday. As of 2 p.m. today, approximately 180 customers are without power from the overnight storms. Crews continue actively working to restore those remaining impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible.

Scattered thunderstorms moved through parts of the Greater Houston area, with the strongest activity taking place between 9 p.m. last night and 11 a.m. this morning. The average restoration time per outage was approximately 170 minutes.

The company's Emergency Operations Center will maintain an elevated state of readiness through Memorial Day holiday weekend as we closely monitor evolving weather conditions.

“We appreciate the dedication of our outstanding frontline crews and contractors, as well as our customers' patience and understanding as we worked to restore power," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander. “Our customers expect and deserve reliable power, and our teams worked around the clock through significant rainfall and wind to safely restore service to customers who were impacted by significant weather as quickly as possible."

CenterPoint took the following actions ahead of Monday's significant weather:

Activated Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday and remained ready to respond.
Monitored weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continued to track forecast developments, and the company updated response plans as conditions evolved.
Pre-positioned resources: Response teams were pre-positioned in areas where storms were forecasted to impact and remained ready to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
Coordinated with local officials: The company provided updates to local officials and emergency management partners.

Commitment to Keeping Customers Informed

Public Safety Message

CenterPoint urges the public to put their safety first. Customers should stay away from low-hanging or downed power lines. To report downed lines or another electrical emergency that requires immediate attention, please call 911 if necessary, then immediately contact CenterPoint at 713-207-2222.

For additional information and safety tips, follow CenterPoint on social media and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

About CenterPoint Energy, Inc.
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 Indiana, Minnesota, Ohio and Texas. As of March 31, 2026, the company owned approximately $47.8 billion in assets. With approximately 8,800 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

CenterPoint Energy activates Emergency Operations Center as it continues monitoring and preparing for potential impacts of severe thunderstorms across the Greater Houston area

HOUSTON – May 19, 2026 – To support its customers and communities, CenterPoint Energy has activated its Emergency Operations Center and is actively monitoring and preparing for an incoming line of potentially severe thunderstorms forecast to impact the Greater Houston area starting Tuesday night. Storms could bring locally heavy rain, isolated minor flooding, small hail, frequent lightning, and the potential for wind gusts between 45 to 55 mph to the company's service territory. CenterPoint's workforce is prepared to respond to potential impacts to its electric and gas service, and the company continues to communicate and coordinate with local government officials ahead of this week's forecast.

“Our Emergency Preparedness and Response team is monitoring the potential for severe thunderstorms to impact the Greater Houston area Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning," said Lena Dziechowski, CenterPoint's Chief of Meteorology. “We have activated our storm preparedness plans and crews stand ready to respond to any service impacts for our customers. We are closely monitoring the weather models as conditions continue to evolve and urge our customers to stay alert in anticipation of quickly changing weather conditions."

Preparing for Severe Weather: Key Actions
As part of its storm preparedness efforts, CenterPoint is taking the following actions:

Activating Emergency Operations Center: Preparing for potential storm impacts and coordinating local preparedness efforts.
Readying the company's workforce and resources: Preparing personnel to support potential restoration efforts.
Monitoring severe weather 24/7: The Meteorology team continues to track weather forecast developments, and the company is updating response efforts as conditions evolve.
Coordinating with local officials: CenterPoint is coordinating with local officials and emergency management partners on continued preparedness efforts.
Communicating proactively with customers: Providing safety and preparedness information directly with customers via email, phone and text, across social media platforms and other channels.

Emergency Communications: Sign Up for Power Alert Service®

To help prepare for the impact of the severe weather, CenterPoint is encouraging its customers to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details, estimated restoration times and customer-specific restoration updates via phone call, text or email. As part of CenterPoint's overall emergency communications efforts, customers can stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's cloud-based Outage Tracker, available in English and Spanish, which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Emergency Preparations: What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe

CenterPoint urges the public to put their safety first and prepare in advance for extreme weather by having a safety plan ready, especially for those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment or medical needs. Customers can find safety tips to help them prepare at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on social media and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

CenterPoint Energy continues taking action to prepare for potential impacts from severe weather across the Greater Houston area

HOUSTON – May 19, 2026 – CenterPoint continues to take actions to respond to the potential impacts of the severe thunderstorms expected in the Greater Houston area, including closely monitoring conditions, coordinating with emergency management partners and proactively mobilizing frontline crews to restore power for impacted customers safely and as quickly as possible. The severe weather is forecasted to impact the Greater Houston area through the Memorial Day weekend, with the potential for heavy rain, flooding, hail and strong isolated wind gusts between 45 to 55 mph.

“Our team is taking a series of critical actions for our customers and stands ready to respond to any outages or impacts caused by the severe weather forecasted for the Greater Houston area through the holiday weekend. As we continue to make the necessary preparations, we urge our customers and their families to make a plan to stay safe, including making sure their emergency kit is fully stocked," said Jason Fabre, CenterPoint's Vice President of Special Response and Incident Commander.

Actions CenterPoint is Taking to Respond

To prepare for the storms, CenterPoint has taken the following actions for its customers:

Activating Emergency Operations Center: To coordinate storm response efforts throughout the weekend, the company proactively activated its Emergency Operations Center at 8 a.m. this morning.
Mobilizing frontline crews: Frontline personnel are executing preparedness actions and will remain ready to support potential restoration efforts.

Monitoring weather conditions 24/7: The meteorology team continues to track forecast developments, and the company is updating response plans as conditions evolve.
Pre-positioning resources: Response teams are developing plans to pre-position crews across the area to respond to any electric or natural gas service interruptions safely and as quickly as possible.
Coordinating with local officials: The Incident Command team is providing regular updates to local officials and emergency management partners.
Keeping customers informed: CenterPoint is providing information directly to customers via email, phone, text and other channels to keep them informed and prepared.

Commitment to Keeping Customers Informed

CenterPoint will continue to provide proactive updates about the actions it's taking to prepare for and respond to the impacts of the severe weather in the Greater Houston area. Electric customers are encouraged to enroll in Power Alert Service® to receive outage details and customer-specific restoration updates by phone, text or email. Customers can also stay up to date on local outages with CenterPoint's Outage Tracker (available in English & Spanish and mobile-friendly), which allows customers to see outages and restoration times by county, city and zip code.

Emergency Preparations: What Customers Can Do to Stay Safe

To help ensure their safety, CenterPoint is encouraging all its customers and their families to prepare in advance for severe weather by making sure their emergency kit is stocked and having a safety plan ready, especially those who rely on electricity for life-sustaining equipment or medical needs. Customers can find specific safety tips to help them prepare at CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

For the latest updates, follow CenterPoint on social media and visit CenterPointEnergy.com/ActionCenter.

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Home Repair & Care continues to deliver critical upgrades to CenterPoint Energy southwestern Indiana customers

CenterPoint Energy Foundation investing across southwestern Indiana through the Community Energy Improvement Fund and Optimize programs

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – May 14, 2026 – CenterPoint Energy customers across southwestern Indiana continue to receive critical home repairs through the Home Repair & Care program. Funded by the CenterPoint Energy Foundation through its $5 million Community Energy Improvement Fund and implemented by local nonprofit Community One, the program launched in January 2026.

For Grace Strange, a retired Evansville resident, that meant a new furnace for her home, built in 1895. Before retiring in 2024, Grace had completed the maintenance she could on her home, including new windows, basement work and a new roof. During a recent maintenance appointment, her longtime HVAC technician told her that her furnace was close to the end of its useful life. A full replacement was the project she'd been putting off.

“I'd worked hard to take care of the house before I retired. The furnace was the one thing I'd been putting off," said Strange. “The Home Repair & Care program came through at the right moment. The house is more comfortable than it's been in years, our bills came down, and that money can go to gasoline and groceries. That means a lot when you've just retired."

Grace's furnace was replaced with a new high-efficiency unit at no cost through the program.

Critical repairs delivered across southwestern Indiana
Home Repair & Care was designed for homeowners whose incomes fall above no-cost weatherization thresholds but who still face large, one-time repair costs that prevent safer, more efficient homes. To date, 183 home projects are underway or completed across 68 households. Upgrades include:

48 window projects
40 exterior door projects
32 new or repaired furnaces or HVAC systems
27 insulation upgrades
21 roof repairs or replacements
11 new water heaters
4 siding repairs

Continued community investment under the Community Energy Improvement Fund
Home Repair & Care was the first initiative launched under the CenterPoint Energy Foundation's $5 million Community Energy Improvement Fund, established in October 2025 to support weatherization, energy efficiency and cost-saving programs across southwestern Indiana. The Fund is supported by the CenterPoint Energy Foundation by company shareholders and has no impact on customer rates. Several additional Foundation programs are now advancing under the Fund, each providing up to $25,000 in matching grant funding for energy efficiency upgrades:

Optimize for Local: Applications have been received and are under review. Optimize for Local supports locally owned independent restaurants and retailers across southwestern Indiana with funding for energy efficiency upgrades such as HVAC, refrigeration and lighting improvements.
Optimize for Growth: Applications are currently open. Optimize for Growth supports small industrial businesses, including manufacturers, processors and fabricators, with funding for facility energy efficiency improvements that reduce operating costs and strengthen the region's economic base.
Optimize for Good: Applications will open later this spring. Optimize for Good supports southwestern Indiana nonprofits with funding for facility energy efficiency improvements, allowing organizations to redirect limited resources toward the community missions they serve.

Additional program details, eligibility and application information are available at CenterPointEnergy.com/Optimize.

The Community Energy Improvement Fund is part of CenterPoint's broader Community Affordability Actions, a series of steps taken since October 2025 to support southwestern Indiana customers, including expanded customer programs and proposed customer protections such as annual late fee waivers, reduced reconnection fees and additional safeguards for medically vulnerable customers. Additional Community Energy Improvement Fund initiatives are expected to be announced in the months ahead.