*This is an updated announcement.

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Energy Assistance Options Remain Available for National Grid Customers During Winter Months

Customers May Qualify for Federal Heating Assistance, Discounted Low-Income Rate

Feb. 5, 2013 – With winter in full swing, National Grid reminds customers that applications are still being accepted for the federally-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that provides income-eligible families assistance in paying their energy bills.

LIHEAP payments vary depending on household income, household composition and heating fuel costs in relation to income. If a household receives public assistance, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or food stamps, the household will most likely be eligible for LIHEAP benefits. If a household is not receiving public assistance, it still may be eligible if the gross monthly household income is at or below income guidelines based on household size.

Since LIHEAP funding is limited, customers who feel they may qualify for the funds should contact LIHEAP immediately. The LIHEAP application process varies by state.

• In Massachusetts, LIHEAP is also known as Fuel Assistance and is managed by the Department of Housing and Community Development in conjunction with 22 regional nonprofit and local government organizations. To find out more, interested individuals can call 800-632-8175 or visit www.mass.gov/dhcd.

• In Rhode Island, the State Department of Human Services is now overseeing applications for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Please contact DHS by calling 401-415-8582.

This year National Grid and the National Grid Foundation donated $1.2 million to heating assistance funds in New York and New England. Since 2005, the company and the Foundation have made heating fund donations that exceed $8 million.

There are several other programs available to National Grid customers to help manage energy costs:

• Low-income discount rate – Discount rates are available to many National Grid electricity and/or natural gas customers, based on service area and certain eligibility requirements. For more information about availability of low-income rates and to determine eligibility, customers should contact National Grid or their local energy assistance agency, Community Action Agency or state department of social services.

• Billing Options – National Grid has billing programs to help customers spread payments out more evenly across the year, which are particularly helpful to those on fixed incomes. Visit www.nationalgridus.com for more information on this and other payment programs.

• Visit National Grid’s website for energy efficiency programs and saving tips, a list of qualified energy service companies, and much more.

NATIONAL GRID

National Grid (LSE: NG; NYSE: NGG) is an electricity and gas company that connects consumers to energy sources through its networks. The company is at the heart of one of the greatest challenges facing our society – to create new, sustainable energy solutions for the future and developing an energy system that underpins economic prosperity in the 21^st century. National Grid holds a vital position at the center of the energy system and it ‘joins everything up’.

In the northeast US, we connect more than seven million gas and electricity customers to vital energy sources, essential for our modern lifestyles. In Great Britain, we run the gas and electricity systems that our society is built on, delivering gas and electricity across the country.

National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island. It manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), and owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation, providing power to over one million LIPA customers. It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in New York, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

For more information please visit our website: www.nationalgridus.com.

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