Energy assistance available for qualified residents 

Minot, N.D. – Ward County residents who are experiencing financial difficulties related to the flood, struggling due to a job loss or growing medical bills, or impacted in some other way are encouraged to explore options for help with their energy bills.

A coalition of non-profit entities, utility companies and public officials are working to let Minot residents know that assistance is available and some guidelines have changed to provide additional assistance for those with flood-impacted homes.

The Ward County Social Services Fuel Assistance program provides benefits to low-income individuals and families to assist with the payment of heating costs. Residents are encouraged to contact Social Services to set up an appointment to see if they might qualify for assistance.

“While income eligibility limits are clearly defined, deductions for items such as child care, medical bills and health insurance premiums are allowed and can have a big impact on a person’s adjusted gross income,” said Holly Keaveny, Ward County Social Services. “We also want to emphasize that individuals who are paying for energy bills for their FEMA temporary housing unit and are heating a damaged primary home can apply for this assistance for both premises.”

In addition to assistance with energy bills, eligible homeowners can receive help to pay for new furnaces for flooded homes through the Community Action Partnership (CAP) – Minot Region. To determine if they are eligible, a homeowner must apply for fuel assistance. If they are eligible, Social Services will make a referral to CAP.

Homeowners have questioned whether they or FEMA are responsible for the payment of utility costs. According to FEMA regulations, federal laws do not allow FEMA to pay utility costs for those residing in Temporary Housing Units (THUs) on private property.

FEMA does cover the costs of utilities for those living at the group site on 55^th Street SE (Virgil Workman) and for those units located in mobile home parks, which FEMA considers “commercial sites.” For additional information on the laws behind this decision, go to www.gpo.gov/fdsys and search for “44 CFR 206.117.”

Safety, energy-saving tips for flood-affected residents provided

Minot, N.D. – A coalition of utility companies, non-profit entities and public officials are determined to help Minot residents keep their energy bills as low as possible, as they may be receiving bills this winter that are higher than they are accustomed to.

“Homeowners in the Minot area are likely to experience higher energy bills for a variety of reasons,” said Jason Zimmerman, flood recovery coordinator for the region. “Obviously, a number of families are living in situations very unlike last year – in FEMA’s Temporary Housing Units or with family and friends – and this can have a big impact on utility costs. We’re very pleased to see a number of organizations come together in the Minot region to address these issues.”

Xcel Energy, Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. and Verendrye Electric Cooperative recommend a number of safety and energy-saving measures. With safety as a top priority, the companies suggest the following:

• Follow manufacture’s recommendations to prevent fires and burns from the use of portable electric heaters.
• Do not use open-flame unvented propane or kerosene heaters indoors.
• Install carbon monoxide and smoke detectors. Test existing detectors to ensure they work.
• Unplug indoor holiday lights before leaving the house or going to sleep.
• Check for and remove ice/snow accumulation on your natural gas meter.

“There are a number of good practices that sometime get forgotten during the winter,” said Carl Pedersen, North Dakota State University Extension energy educator. “We hope that people think twice about doing something out of the ordinary this winter season. Please contact your utility provider or the Ward County Extension Service office if you are at all worried about safely heating your home this winter.”

In addition to safety measures, homeowners can do a number of things to minimize energy costs:

• Limit the times you open and close your door to avoid an influx of cold air (especially with small children and pets that may make frequent trips in and out of the house).
• Install quilted or lined window treatments or window film to add insulating value and address any drafty areas.
• If you are heating a flooded home that is under restoration, set your thermostat at a reasonable temperature, insulate and then air seal the area you will be heating as soon as possible, as long as the home has effectively dried.
• If you are heating a home to simply prevent the foundation from frost heaving, isolate the basement with insulation and only heat the basement level.
• If you need to install a furnace, be sure to select an energy efficient model. Through December 31, rebates are available for high-efficiency natural gas and propane furnaces. Check with an area supplier or your utility provider for details.

The utilities strongly urge any customer who is experiencing difficulty paying winter bills to call to make payment arrangements. They are committed to working with customers on flexible payment plans. You may contact the utilities at the following numbers to discuss your energy bills or make payment arrangements:

Xcel Energy: 1-800-895-4999

Montana Dakota Utilities Co.: 1-800-638-3278

Verendrye Electric Cooperative: 1-800-472-2141

For more information on safely and efficiently heating your home this winter contact the Ward County Extension office at 701-857-6450.

Natural gas prices stable for winter heating season

Nov. 1 marks the beginning of what is considered the five-month winter heating season. And this heating season natural gas prices are expected to be about the same as last year. Domestic production has been ample and prices are expected to remain stable. The variable will be the weather. Extreme cold will increase usage.

Nationally, the American Gas Association is reporting similar information regarding prices. See the AGA report here.

Additional rebates available for FEMA-registered homeowners

Aug. 5, 2011 -- MINOT – Flood-affected homeowners received good news when the N.D. Department of Commerce and local utilities announced that FEMA-registered homeowners could qualify for increased rebate amounts for energy efficient equipment such as furnaces, water heaters and air conditioners. See the news release for more information.

Montana-Dakota rebate information can be found here.

Minot-area flood information

• Restoring natural gas service

The majority of residents who evacuated because of the flood have had their natural gas service shut off. Do not attempt to turn on the gas by yourself.

If you had minimal flooding and no water covered the natural gas components of your heating equipment or your natural gas water heater, call the Minot Mechanical or Plumbing Inspectors. An inspector will determine if your equipment is safe to operate. Once the inspection has been done, contact MDU to restore natural gas service at 1-800-MDU-FAST (1-800-638-3278).

Minot Mechanical and Plumbing Inspectors: (701) 857-4102

Outside city jurisdiction contact MDU: 800-638-3278

If you live within the city of Minot’s jurisdiction and the flood waters covered the natural gas components of your heating equipment or your natural gas water heater, they will need to be replaced. Call a licensed heating or plumbing contractor for replacement. Once the equipment has been replaced, you or your contractor will need to contact the Minot Mechanical or Plumbing Inspector at (701) 857-4102. The city inspection must be done and your water and electricity service must be on before MDU will restore natural gas service. Once these components have been met, contact MDU at 1-800-MDU-FAST (1-800-638-3278) to have your natural gas restored

If you live in Burlington or outside the city of Minot’s jurisdiction and the flood waters covered the natural gas components of your heating equipment or your natural gas water heater, they will need to be replaced. Call a licensed heating or plumbing contractor for replacement. Once the equipment has been replaced, and the electricity and water turned on, you or your contractor will need to contact MDU at 1-800-MDU-FAST (1-800-638-3278). We will then inspect your new equipment, witness the air test and restore your natural gas service.

There is no charge to have MDU restore service that was turned off because of the flood.

• Billing information

Many Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. customers affected by the Souris River flood that hit Minot, Burlington and the surrounding area do not have natural gas service. Service was shut off to all mandatory evacuation zones. Following is information regarding the accounts for those customers:

• A final bill will be issued as of the date Montana-Dakota shut off service, and no daily basic rate charge will be assessed for the days customers are out of service.
• There will be no late fees or interest assessed.
• If your account was on the Balanced Billing Plan, the final bill will show the outstanding balance, which could be a credit or debit amount owed.
• If your account was on the Balanced Billing Plan and your account was on Easy Pay – directly taken from your bank account – that service has been suspended and customers are responsible for directly paying the final bill.
• If you need to make payment arrangements for the outstanding balance, please contact Montana-Dakota’s customer service department at 1-800-MDU-FAST (1-800-638-3278) to set up a payment plan.
• At the time you re-establish your service, Montana-Dakota will not charge a reconnect fee.

MDU files request to build electric generation facility

July 8, 2011 – Montana-Dakota Utilities Co. announced today that it has filed an application with the North Dakota Public Service Commission for an advance determination of prudence to construct, own and operate an 88-megawatt simple cycle combustion turbine, as well as the related infrastructure needs for the project.

The natural gas-fired electric generation facility would be located on existing company-owned land next to the company’s R.M. Heskett Generating Station near Mandan. The facility is needed to meet the capacity requirements of Montana-Dakota’s electric customers served by the company’s integrated system. At capacity, the facility would generate enough electricity to serve about 86,000 Montana-Dakota customers.

“This new facility will add to our generation portfolio and provide our customers with a cost-effective capacity resource for many years into the future,” said Dave Goodin, president and CEO of Montana-Dakota Utilities. “We think this a great opportunity to construct on land we already own, next to company-owned generation. We’ll be able to capitalize on that location and achieve cost efficiencies by sharing facilities, equipment, supervision and labor with the Heskett Station, which translates into the best-cost option for our customers.”

The type of generation and the location were chosen after a thorough evaluation of generation and site options. The project includes a 24-mile natural gas pipeline to serve the generation station, as well as transmission interconnection facilities.

If the ADP is approved by the PSC, the facility is expected to be in operation by the first quarter of 2015. The estimated cost of the project is $85.6 million. North Dakota’s share of that cost is $58.2 million, which equates to an estimated increase of $4 per month for residential customers.

An advance determination of prudence request asks the PSC to determine if a generation project is reasonable and prudent for use in providing utility service to the public. The North Dakota PSC has up to seven months from the filing date to issue a decision on the ADP request.

North Dakota conservation rebates available

Montana-Dakota Utilities has conservation rebates available to its North Dakota natural gas  and electric customers.  These programs are funded through the American Recovery Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and administered through the North Dakota Department of Commerce. Additional information can be found on the North Dakota Conservation page.

Montana-Dakota also offers conservation rebates in Montana and South Dakota.