South Carolina - Progress Energy assistance programs 

Low income, the unemployed, and struggling Progress Energy customers in South Carolina have several different utility bill assistance programs available to them. Learn about your options below, as well as who to contact.

South Carolina Disconnect Moratorium - This is an option for Progress Energy residential customers. They can become exempt from, and therefore prevent having their utility services disconnected by Progress Energy for a 30-day period. In addition, they also have the option of extending this disconnection prevention service every 30 days. The program is available between December 1 and March 31 of each and every year if they meet the following criteria of the moratorium program.

-The Progress Energy customer is not able to pay the balance of their utility bill in full, or they can’t pay it under an agreed upon installment agreement.

-Another condition that can be met and that will allow eligibility is if a member of the household’s health will be put at risk due to termination of their utility service.

If these conditions have been met, the moratorium may apply.

 

 

 

 

Assistance from Preference Pay - For those Progress Energy customers who are aged 55 years or older, and if the customer lives on a fixed income such as a pension, retirement pay, government social security, or disability (and if their current bill and account is in good standing) these customers will have the option to delay the paying of their following month’s electric bill by up to seven calendar days. This delay will in effect give Progress Energy customers the flexibility to wait for their monthly check before they need to pay their Progress Energy utility bill. They will not need to pay a late charge, fee or they will not receive a credit downgrade.

Progress Energy Neighbor Fund - South Carolina residents can also use the Progress Energy’s Energy Neighbor Fund. This is an energy bill assistance program that helps low income and struggling families and individuals in the local  communities who can’t afford to pay their home utility bills. The Energy Fund is available for customers regardless of whether the homes are powered by an all-electric or use gas, wood, coal, oil, or kerosene for their service.

The program is in effect funded by donations from South Carolina residents. One hundred percent of the funds and donations that collected from customers, employees, local businesses and others in the local community go to helping those in need. These funds, combined with an annual grant of $1 million from the Progress Energy Charity Foundation, are distributed locally o South Carolina families through social service agencies, charities, and community action agencies people experiencing hardship and who need help paying an utility bill.

As with all programs, there are some criteria that need to be met in order to receive aid. The fund is for those  customers who live at or below 150 percent of the poverty level and if the resident is facing a crises such as unexpected unemployment, a medical emergency or a sudden illness.

 

 

Money from the Energy Neighbor Fund are sent on a monthly basis to the Social Services of the South Carolina Division of Economic Opportunity. The local agency will use disbursement information provided by Progress Energy showing the local South Carolina counties and the applicants to which the funds should be allocated.

In addition, county social services agencies as well as charities in the area will use the same criteria for determining client eligibility for the Progress Energy Neighbor Fund. They use the same criteria that is used for state and federal government assistance programs, including LIHEAP and CIP. These agencies that distribute the money guarantee and make the payments directly to the fuel distributor or utility company on behalf of the customer. The customers will never receive the cash themselves.

Call Progress Energy in South Carolina at 1-800-452-2777 to learn about these or other programs.