National Grid is donating $1 million to its Care & Share Energy Assistance Fund, which will provide utility grants to an additional 4,000 eligible upstate New York households. National Grid customers, who are HEAP recipients and have received a shut-off notice, are eligible for the program. The maximum grant is $250. HeartShare Human Services of New York administers the Care & Share Energy Fund.

National Grid customers can apply for Care & Share funds by visiting intake centers across upstate New York. A full listing of intake centers can be found by calling HeartShare at 855-852-2736. To apply for Care & Share by telephone, in an area where there is no local agency accepting applications, customers are urged to contact 718-422-4207 or 718-422-4228 and a HeartShare representative will take the application over the phone. Care & Share information can also be found on the HeartShare website at heartshare.org/care.

National Grid continues the Care & Share Energy Fund, established by Niagara Mohawk in 1981, to help low-income families and individuals meet their monthly utility payments. The Care & Share Energy Fund is available to 1.3 million customers in 37 upstate New York counties.

“We are incredibly grateful for the additional funding. We now can return to the hundreds of pending applications that otherwise would not have been processed this year,” said William Guarinello, President and CEO of HeartShare.