Minnesota Power is rolling out a new program to help residential customers reduce past-due balances and get back on track with their electric bills.
Called On Track, the new bill assistance option is designed to help eligible residential customers with past-due balances through monthly bill support and matching payments.
The On Track Program offers eligible households a discount on monthly electric bills and a 100% dollar-for-dollar match by Minnesota Power on payments made toward past-due balances under a payment arrangement On Track is part of $200 million in customer benefits funded by ALLETE’s owners.
“On Track is meant to give customers a manageable way to catch up while keeping their service affordable and reliable,” said Tina Koecher, director of Customer Experience Operations. “By matching paymentstowardpast-duebalances and providing additional monthly bill support, this program gives customers a practical path forward. It reflects our commitment to keeping bills affordable and connecting customers with help when they most need it.”
Some eligible customers will be automatically enrolled in the program with their next available bill. For those customers, past-due balances will be placed into a payment arrangement for up to twelve months, depending on their pastdue balance at the time of enrollment. Minnesota Power will match each customer payment made toward that arrangement, effectively cutting the payment arrangement duration in half. Customers also will receive a $20 bill credit each month, available for up to half the original payment arrangement term, as long as they stay current on both their regular monthly bill and their payment arrangement.
Other eligible customers will be invited to apply for On Track either online or through a paper application. Those customers may receive payment arrangements of up to 24 months, with payment matching and the $20 monthly bill credit available for up to half the original payment arrangement term. If the proposedmonthlypaymentamount does not fit a customer’s budget, Minnesota Power’s program coordinator can work with the customer to find a more workable arrangement.
There are no income requirements to qualify, which sets On Track apart from many traditional bill-assistance programs. In both cases, customers who make their payments on time can reduce their balances faster because Minnesota Power is matching payments made toward the payment arrangement. Space and funding for the program are limited and enrollment for customers invited to apply is available on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Customers who receive an On Track notice are encouraged to review the details carefully. Automatically enrolled customers may opt out, and invited customers can choose whether to apply. Minnesota Power’s overall goal for this program is to offer more flexibility and meaningful support to customers who need help catching up.
For questions about On Track, customers can contact Minnesota Power at 877-627-0584 or [email protected]
