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January 15, 2001
NAPERVILLE, Ill. - Nicor Gas announced this week to the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) its intention to institute a permanent, twelve-month budget plan to allow its customers the immediate opportunity to manage the effects of the high cost of natural gas. Nicor Gas plans to file details of this plan with the Commission no later than February 1.
"This plan builds on our existing payment programs - the Convenient Payment Plan and Customer Payment Support Plan - by allowing our customers to sign up during any month of the year," said Rocco D'Alessandro, Nicor Gas vice president customer services. "We realize these high gas bills are difficult for many of our customers to manage. Under this plan, customers will be able to defer their high winter bills and spread the costs over the course of the year. This program should be an optimum solution for customers who previously have not participated in a payment program."
Nicor Gas has had in place for many years the Convenient Payment Plan (CPP), which enables customers to pay a fixed amount each month and build up credit balances so as to stretch out their payments for gas service over the year. The popularity of this plan is demonstrated by the fact that over 430,000, or about one quarter of Nicor Gas' residential customers, participated in this plan.
In early November 2000, Nicor Gas announced a new, supplemental Customer Payment Support Plan in anticipation of higher natural gas costs this winter. This plan has enabled customers who are having trouble paying their bills this winter to spread monthly payments into smaller amounts through next summer when bills could be significantly lower. Under this plan, customers equalize payment of their gas bills over a period of time, starting when they enroll in the plan, and ending in September 2001. As of today, over 20,000 customers have already enrolled in this program.
"Our new twelve-month budget plan is our best solution to this unfortunate situation, caused by the national problem of high gas costs this year," continued D'Alessandro. "We expect - and hope - that many of our customers will take advantage of this latest effort in our commitment to provide them with workable payment solutions."
In addition to this new twelve-month budget plan, Nicor Gas also announced this week that it increased the eligibility level in its Sharing program to persons earning up to 200 percent of the poverty level to help those who may have trouble paying their gas bills. Nicor has twice increased the dollar amount of each individual Sharing grant - a one-time grant to help customers pay their gas bills in the current heating season - from $200 to $325. In place since 1983 and administered by the Salvation Army, Sharing has given more than $9 million to help nearly 60,000 people. Nicor's increase in eligibility was formalized in the wake of this week's action by the Illinois General Assembly raising the eligibility for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to 150 percent of the poverty level.
Nicor Gas also has launched a special "Natural Gas Cost" section of the company's Web site, located at www.nicor.com. This interactive site offers customers the opportunity to conduct their own home energy audit by monitoring past gas usage, download energy savings tips and link to other energy-savings sites.
Nicor Gas serves nearly 2 million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. The company has provided reliable natural gas services for more than 45 years.
Nicor (NYSE: GAS) is a holding company. Its principal businesses are Nicor Gas, one of the nations largest gas distribution companies, and Tropical Shipping, a containerized shipping business that operates between Florida and the Caribbean. Nicor also owns several energy-related subsidiaries and is a partner in Nicor Energy, a provider of unregulated energy products and services. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicor.com. | 
