Connecticut regulators approved a five-tier natural-gas heating discount Wednesday, November 4, with enrollment expected by March 2027 rather than an immediate statewide change to customers’ bills.
The Public Utilities Regulatory Authority says residential heating customers of Yankee Gas, Connecticut Natural Gas and Southern Connecticut Gas qualify if household income is at or below 60% of the state median. The five discounts are 4%, 10%, 29%, 37% and 71%, with the largest reduction reserved for the lowest-income households.
The discount applies to monthly gas use up to 105 hundred cubic feet, or CCF. It is a gas-heating program for the three named companies; the decision does not announce an equivalent discount for heating oil, propane or Norwich Public Utilities customers.
For Eastern Connecticut households served by Eversource’s Yankee Gas business, PURA lists residential customer service at 800-989-0900. Customers should ask their own gas company about eligibility and enrollment. CNG customer service is 860-524-8361 and SCG’s is 800-659-8299.
PURA says participating companies are expected to begin enrolling eligible customers by March 2027 and send participants written information within 30 days of launch. In the meantime, CNG and SCG are enrolling eligible customers for a 10% discount, the authority says.
The change also affects payment arrangements. CNG and SCG have stopped offering their Below Budget Payment option; Yankee Gas will discontinue that option when it implements the new discount program, according to PURA.
The regulator’s decision targets program costs of no more than 2% of each company’s annual revenue. Its broader affordability goal is to keep household building-energy costs within 6% of annual income; that goal is not a guarantee of what any individual bill will be.