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November 8, 2004
Naperville, Ill. – Nicor Gas has added new features to its web site to enable customers to conduct more transactions online. At www.nicorgas.com/myaccount, customers can now look up their account balance and historical gas usage, sign up for e-mail reminders, Auto Payment (EFT), Budget Plan and Deferred Payment Arrangement (DPA). Customers who want to conduct transactions online should have their account information handy for the log-in process.
"We've added these useful functions to 'My Account' because customers want to conduct these transactions online. These options are part of Nicor's effort to enhance the customer experience," said Chris Suppes, vice president of sales and customer care, Nicor Gas.
About the "My Account" payment options:
- Auto Payment is an electronic payment option, commonly known as Electronic Funds Transfer or EFT, which allows customers to pay their natural gas bill each month without having to write a check. Upon signing up online, customers' funds are automatically withdrawn to pay their specified amount on the due date: monthly balance or Budget Plan amount.
- Budget Plan is a plan for customers who wish to spread their natural gas bills over a 12-month period, providing some assurance of knowing what their gas bills will be each month. In the summer, Budget Plan payments help customers build a credit balance to offset higher winter bills. Every four months, customers' Budget Plan payments are reviewed and could be adjusted based on their current account balance and Nicor Gas' estimates of future natural gas prices.
- DPA is a payment arrangement for customers who have fallen behind in paying their natural gas bills -- helping customers spread the amount of the payment owed. For example, if a customer has fallen behind, this new online feature will calculate a down payment amount to be paid up front and the remaining amount owed will be divided equally over the next four bill periods. This amount is paid in addition to the current monthly bill.
"My Account" also provides customers with their historical gas usage, which can be especially helpful for customers to prepare for higher home-heating bills this winter following the national trends of the past few years.
Suppes continues, "With more than half of all Illinoisans now connected to the Internet, Nicor offers services to help customers save time and make their lives easier in the process."
Nicor Gas is one of the nation's largest gas distribution companies. Owned by Nicor, Inc. (NYSE: GAS) a holding company, Nicor Gas has provided safe and reliable natural gas services for 50 years. The Company serves two million customers in a service territory that encompasses most of the northern third of Illinois, excluding the city of Chicago. For more information, visit the Nicor Web site at www.nicorgas.com. |
