By Kara Stevenson —
FORT WAYNE, IN – The landscape of our communities is changing at an accelerated speed. Prices for essential items have steadily risen, COVID-19 has affected employment for many, and where we spend our time – and money now takes more careful consideration. Despite an evolving normal, the center of what drives the work we do at Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) will never change: Our customers.
On top of powering our communities, we also prioritize providing comfort. Many experience the physical comfort of air that cools their home on a hot day, but for those facing financial adversity, comfort comes from peace of mind knowing your care is essential. To support this, I&M has partnered with Dollar Energy Fund and local organizations to provide grants to help pay summer cooling bills.
The I&M Neighbor to Neighbor Program is an emergency relief fund designed to provide payment assistance to income qualified customers in our Indiana service area. To qualify, applicants’ income cannot exceed 150% of Federal Poverty Level. Complete income guidelines and other eligibility requirements can be found here.
Customers who do meet the requirements can access the list of local community agencies currently accepting applications for the Neighbor to Neighbor Program. Applications for cooling assistances are now open through August 31.
I&M launched the Neighbor to Neighbor Program with a $50,000 company contribution in 2018, and customers have since added to the fund with contributions over the following years. Customers have the opportunity to choose a fixed monthly amount to donate or can “round up” their bill to the next whole dollar, with the excess going toward the Neighbor to Neighbor Program.
For more information on the Neighbor to Neighbor Program or the other forms of payment assistance offered through I&M, visit the Payment Assistance page on our website.
Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) is headquartered in Fort Wayne, and its approximately 2,000 employees serve more than 600,000 customers. More than 80% of its energy delivered in 2022 was emission-free. I&M has at its availability various sources of generation including 2,278 MW of nuclear generation in Michigan, 450 MW of purchased wind generation from Indiana, more than 22 MW of hydro generation in both states and approximately 35 MW of large-scale solar generation in both states. The company’s generation portfolio also includes 1,497 MW of coal-fueled generation.
