National Grid LIHEAP Outreach NAEDA Kate Granger, Manager, Consumer Advocacy and Low Income June 21, 2015.

National Grid LIHEAP Outreach

NAEDA

Kate Granger, Manager, Consumer Advocacy and Low Income June 21, 2015

About National Grid

National Grid - an electricity and natural gas delivery company that connects nearly 7 million customers to vital energy sources through its networks in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the Northeast. National Grid also operates the systems that deliver gas and electricity across Great Britain.

Approximately 500K Customers on Low Income Programs

Consumer Advocates

Low Income Programs

Proactive Outreach & Education

Storm Restoration Efforts

Community Partnerships

Consumer Advocacy Components

New York - Upstate New York - Downstate Long Island

Disconnect Notice Insert

Inserted with notice throughout HEAP Season

Outbound Calling Campaigns

November

All HEAP Eligible Customers

Emergency HEAP Calls – February

Second Emergency HEAP Calls - March

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Contact Center On hold message highlighting HEAP

LIHEAP Winter Ad

November

Financial Assistance Brochure

NYC Residential Customers

November Bill Insert

Outbound Calling Campaign

November

All HEAP Eligible Customers

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Contact Center On hold message highlighting HEAP

LIHEAP Winter Ad

November

Financial Assistance Brochure

Final Notice Insert through HEAP Season

Outbound Calling Campaign

November

All HEAP Eligible Customers

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Contact Center On hold message highlighting HEAP

LIHEAP Winter Ad

November

National Grid HEAP Outreach

Print Ad Example

• Ads Vary State to State

• Language Difference

• Fuel Assistance, LIHEAP, HEAP

• Crisis, Emergency

• Timing Difference

Print Ads

Newspaper Market Newspaper MarketAbington Mariner Abington Holbrook Sun Holbrook

Allston Brighton Tab Allston, Brighton Kingston Carriage Towne News Kingston

Andover Townsman Andover Let's Go New Hampshire Derry

Back Bay Sun/ Beacon Hill Times Back Bay Beacon Hill Lexington Minuteman Lexington

Bay State Banner Tab Bay State Lincoln Journal Lincoln

Bedford Minuteman Bedford Littleton Independent Littleton

Belmont Citizen Herald Belmont Lowell Sun Lowell

Billerica Minuteman Billerica Lynn Daily Item Lynn

Braintree Forum Braintree Lynn Journal Lynn

Brookline Tab Brookline Malden Evening News Makden

Burlington Union Burlington Manchester Union Leader Manchester

Cape Cod Times Hyannisport Medford Transcript Medford

Cape Codder Tab Cape Cod Needham Times Needham

Carver Reporter Canton Newton Tab Newton

Charlestown Patriot Bridge Charlestown North Andover Eagle Tribune North Andover

Chelsea Record Chelsea Norwood Transcript Bulletin Norwood

Cohasset Cohasset Quincy Patriot Ledger Quincy

Concord Journal Concord Reading Advocate Reading

Danvers Herald Danvers Roslindale Transcript West Roxbury Roslindale

Dedham Transcript Dedham Salem Gazette Beverly

Derry News Derry Sandwich Broadside Sandwich

Dorchester Reporter Dorchester Somerville Journal Somerville

Dover-Sherborne Press Dover Stoneham Independent Stoneham

Duxbury Reporter Duxbury Sudbury Town Crier Sudbury

East Boston Times -Free Press East Boston Wakefield Observer Wakefield

El Mundo Boston Tab East Boston Waltham News Tribune Waltham

Essex County Newspapers Essex Wareham Courier Wareham

Everett Independent Everett Watertown Tab & Press Watertown

Falmouth Bulletin Falmouth Wayland Weston Town Crier Combo Wayland Weston

Framingham Tab Framingham Wellesley Townsman Wellesley

Halifax Plymton Halifax Weymouth News Weymouth

Hanover Mariner Hanover Winchester Star Wichester

Harwich Oracle Harwich Winthrop Sun Transcript Winthrop

Haverhill Gazette Haverhill Woburn Advocate Woburn

Hingham Journal Hingham Yarmouth Port Register Yarmouth

Newspaper Space Buyers

Massachusetts

Print Ads

Newspaper MarketAlbany Times Union Albany

Adirondack Southern Group Elizabethtown

Amsterdam Recorder Amsterdam

Daily Mail Hudson

Glens Falls Post Star Glens Falls

Gloversville Leader-Herald Gloversville

Schenectady Gazette Schenectady

Oneida Daily Dispatch Oneida

Oswego Palladium Times Oswego

The Record Troy

The Saratogian Saratoga Springs

Clinton Courier Clinton

Herkimer Evening Telegram Herkimer

Utica Observer Dispatch Utica

Masssena Courier-Observer Massena

Syracuse Post Standard Syracuse

Watertown Daily Times Watertown

Upstate New YorkNewspaper Space Buyers Newspaper Market

El Diario La Prensa Brooklyn

Brooklyn Our Time Press Brooklyn

Caribbean life Brooklyn

Queens Chronicle Queens

Queens Ledger Queens

Queens Tribune Tab Queens

Staten Island Advance Queens

Far Rockaway Wave Far Rockaway

Downstate New YorkNewspaper Space Buyers

Newspaper MarketLa Tribuna Hispana Long Island

Long Island Press Tab Long Island

Neighbor Newspapers Combo Long Island

Anton Community Newspapers Anton

Beacon Newspapers Combo Beacon

Herald Community Newspapers Garden City

Wantaugh-Seaford Citizen Merrick

Amityville Record Amityville

Long Island Advance Patchouge

Press News Group South Hampton

Sag Harbor Express Sag Harbor

Suffolk County News Sayville

Times Review News Group Riverhead

Long IslandNewspaper Space Buyers

Outbound Calling Campaigns

Proactive Outbound Calls

• Licensed national data warehouse

• Query income based on LIHEAP eligibility each year

New York Total Share NG Cust Alloc.

$366.6M 21.18%

$350M 20.01%

$375.5M 19.35%

$533.9M 18.12%

$524M 17.06%

$537.6M 15.97%

Bill Inserts

Bill Inserts

Bill Inserts

Customer Assistance EXPO

Newest Initiative – Life Can be Hard but finding assistance shouldn’t be

Purpose to provide a our low income customers a way to connect with the resources they need, all under one roof in one day

Expos offer opportunities:

• To work one-on-one with customers and agencies in their neighborhoods

• To work as a community team – maximizing resources

• More importantly they provide hope to customers who feel like there is no place to turn

Customer Assistance EXPOOpportunities

Customer Assistance EXPO

Customers are beyond grateful:

“I signed up for HEAP & Food Stamps – this made it so easy”

“I didn't know National Grid had such nice people to talk to”

“You guys are truly angels for wanting to help people”

“Thank you so much for all the help”

“I had lost hope, but thanks to being here, my hope is renewed, and I now have a fighting chance of getting out of our mess”

QUESTIONS?