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News Releases
3/27/2006
Xcel Energy extends disconnection protections for some low-income Minnesota customers
Additional federal heating assistance available
MINNEAPOLIS - Xcel Energy officials said today the company voluntarily is extending for 30 days winter service disconnection protections for some low-income customers in Minnesota.
The extension – to May 15 – is in response to last week’s announcement that Minnesota will receive an additional $29.1 million in federal heating assistance funding.
“We are pleased that our state officials and congressional delegation persuaded Congress and the president to provide additional funds to help our low-income customers pay to heat their homes this winter, during which we experienced some record high fuel prices,” said Cyndi Lesher, president and CEO of Northern States Power Company-Minnesota, an Xcel Energy company.
“Xcel Energy is offering this 30-day extension of provisions of Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule to give the state time to allocate the additional funds.”
Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule helps protect residential energy customers from service disconnections affecting their primary heating source. Developed by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission, the rule is in effect annually from Oct. 15 through April 15.
Eligible for Xcel Energy’s 30-day extension of Cold Weather Rule protections are customers who already are receiving federal heating assistance and those who have remained current with payment plans established under the Cold Weather Rule.
Xcel Energy encourages other natural gas and electricity customers with overdue accounts to promptly contact the company’s 24-hour residential customer service line at 1-800-895-4999 to make payment arrangements.
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