KENNEWICK, Wash. — Cascade Natural Gas is offering a debt relief program for residential customers whose bills are past due because of financial hardship.

According to a news release, the Oregon Public Utilities Commission approved the program, known as the Big Heart Grant, on March 25. 

One option, the Automatic Hardship Grant, is designed for customers with a history of receiving low-income assistance on their utility bills. They can automatically receive a one-time grant for the amount of their total past due balance, up to $1,500.

The Financial Hardship Grant is for customers who have not received energy assistance in the past two years but are currently experiencing financial hardship. A grant of up to $1,500 will be applied to the customer’s past due balance, calculated by household size, income and account balance.

For information, or to apply for a grant, call Cascade Natural Gas at 1-888-522-1130.