Protections for Oregon Residential Customers
Cascade wants you to stay connected to your gas service. Below are protections provided to residential customers, income-qualified households, and households with medical certificates.
RESIDENTIAL PROTECTIONS
- No Disconnects for Nonpayment in Freezing Temperatures: Residential customers will not have their service disconnected for nonpayment 24 hours before or on a day when the temperature is forecast to be less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit.
- No Disconnects for Nonpayment when Air Quality is Bad: Residential customers will not have their service disconnected for nonpayment when air quality is at or above 100 as issued on the website AirNow.gov.
INCOME-QUALIFIED PROTECTIONS
You are income qualified if the gross cumulative income for all your household residents is 150% or less of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) or less than 60% State Median Income (SMI). Click here for more information about income-qualification guidelines as well as income-qualified programs. Below are income-qualified protections:
Energy Discount Program and Arrearage Relief Grants
If you are income-qualified, you may receive a monthly bill discount. You simply need to self-attest your income and number of residents in your household to qualify. Arrearage relief grants are also available to you if you are struggling to pay past due amounts. You may enter into a time payment arrangement to pay off any amount owing after the application of an arrearage relief grant.
To qualify for Cascade’s EDP, complete an online application, call customer service at 888.522.1130 or contact your local Community Action Agency.
Reconnections Prior to Freezing Weather
A customer from an income-qualified home that was disconnected for nonpayment within the previous 72-hours before a day when the temperature is forecast to be less than 32 degrees Fahrenheit may request to have their gas service reconnected at no charge for the duration of the freezing temperatures. Charges for usage will be applied to the customer’s account.
No Reconnect Charges
Income-qualified customers will not be charged the first reconnection fee in a calendar year for a reconnection during standard business hours following disconnection for nonpayment. Energy Discount Program participants served on Tier 1 (0-25% FPL or 0-15 % SMI) will not be charged for a reconnection.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATES
A customer with a medical certificate associated with their account will not be disconnected for nonpayment.
A customer may get a medical certificate if the customer or any member of that customer’s household has a health condition where the disconnection of natural gas service would severely endanger the health of that person. A customer must provide Cascade with written confirmation of the health claim from a qualified medical professional within thirty days of self-attesting to needing a medical certificate. A medical certificate may last up to six months.
Customers with a medical certificate are required to enter into a time payment arrangement for any overdue balance and may renegotiate the time payment arrangement if their household experiences financial hardship during the duration of their medical certificate.
ELIGIBILITY
Call Cascade Natural Gas customer service at 888.522.1130 to self-attest to your eligibility and start receiving protections today.
Protections for Washington Residential Customers
Cascade wants you to stay connected to your gas service. Below are protections provided to residential customers, income-qualified households, and households with medical certificates.
RESIDENTIAL PROTECTIONS
- No Reconnect Charges: The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission has placed a temporary pause on reconnection charges after an account has been disconnected for nonpayment.
INCOME-QUALIFIED PROTECTIONS
CARES
If you are income-qualified, you may receive a monthly bill discount. You simply need to self-attest your income and number of residents in your household to qualify. Arrearage relief grants are also available to income-qualified households struggling to pay past due amounts. You may enter into a time payment arrangement to pay off any amount owing after the application of the arrearage relief grant.
To qualify for Cascade’s CARES program, complete an online application, call customer service at 888.522.1130 or contact your local Community Action Agency.
Winter Low-Income Payment Program
During the winter months, between November 15th and March 15th, Cascade will not discontinue the service of a customer’s natural gas space heating if the customer does the following:
- Notifies Cascade of their inability to pay their natural gas bill and any required deposit within no less than five days of receiving a notice of disconnection for nonpayment.
- Provides self-certification of household income for the prior twelve months to a grantee of the Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development.
- Applies to receive CARES bill discounts by calling Cascade customer service at 888-522-1130.
- Contacts a local Community Action Agency to inquire about receiving income-qualified weatherization services.
- Agrees to pay all amounts owing that is no more than seven percent of the customer’s monthly income plus one twelfth of any billings from the date of application to the Winter Low-Income Payment Plan.
MEDICAL CERTIFICATES
A customer with a medical certificate associated with their account will not be disconnected for nonpayment.
A customer may get a medical certificate if the customer or any member of that customer’s household has a health condition where the disconnection of natural gas service would severely endanger the health of that person.
If a customer whose service was disconnected for nonpayment notifies Cascade that their household requires a medical certificate, Cascade will reinstate that customer’s service during the same day if the customer contacts Cascade prior to the close of the business day and requests a same day connection. Otherwise, Cascade will restore service by 12 P.M. the next business day. The customer will not be charged a deposit or a fee for reconnection.
Within five days of notifying Cascade that the household needs a medical certificate, the customer must provide Cascade a written certification from a qualified medical professional stating that disconnection of natural gas service will aggravate an existing medical condition of an occupant of the household.
ELIGIBILITY
Call Cascade Natural Gas customer service at 888.522.1130 to self-attest to your eligibility and start receiving protections today.