FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WOWO) – If you’re having difficulty paying your Indiana Michigan Power electric bill, you could receive some help from your neighbors.
I&M launched its Neighbor-to-Neighbor program last year with a $50,000 company contribution. Customers contributed an additional $10,700 to help their neighbors in need. As a result, the fund helped pay the bills of 147 I&M customers needing assistance last winter.
The program is now accepting applications from income-qualified Hoosiers for one-time assistance in paying their bill during July or August, which are the hottest months of the year.
To qualify for the program, customers must have a past-due bill and meet the guidelines of the feral Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LiHEAP) along with other eligibility standards.
Customers can apply to the agency that serves their county:
- Allen, DeKalb, Steuben, Whitley: Brightpoint – 800-589-3506
- Blackford: Muncie Mission – 765-288-9122
- Delaware: Indiana Community Action Program-Delaware County – 765-288-8732; or Muncie Mission – 765-288-9122
- Elkhart, Marshall, St. Joseph: REAL Services – 574-232-6501; or Brightpoint – 800-589-3506
- Grant: GRANT: Indiana Community Action Program-Grant County – 765-573-5193
- Henry: Indiana Community Action Program-Henry County – 765-529-4403
- LaPorte: Brightpoint – 800-589-3506; or North Central Community Action Agency – 219-872-1201
- Madison: Indiana Community Action Program-Madison County – 765-298-8086
- Other Indiana Counties: If your county is not listed, you may call an agency in a neighboring county.
For those looking to help their neighbors in need, a box can be found on each monthly bill that offers the option to contribute funds to the program. Customers can simply check the box and specify the amount they want to donate.
Later this summer, I&M plans to offer customers to the opportunity to sign-up online for a monthly contribution, a one-time contribution, or to “round up” their bill to the next whole dollar, contributing the excess to the Neighbor-to-Neighbor Fund.
