NiSource operates under two customer-facing brands — NIPSCO in Indiana and Columbia Gas across five other states — and the right process depends entirely on which name is on your loved one's bill. The good news is that the most urgent problem, keeping the gas on, can usually be solved same-day without any legal authorization at all. This guide walks caregivers, POA agents, guardians, and executors through every path: emergency guest payment, third-party disconnection notices, medical certification holds, full legal authority submission, and estate handling after a customer's death — with clear guidance on which tool actually prevents shutoff and which ones don't.
Guest payment walkthrough: How to pay a NIPSCO or Columbia Gas bill immediately without an account, login, or authorization — including the convenience fee to expect and how to avoid it.
Third-party notification enrollment: What this protection actually does, what it doesn't do, how to submit the form correctly so it isn't rejected, and why it must be paired with a payment solution to be useful.
Medical certification hold: How to delay a shutoff that poses a health risk, what type of medical professional must certify the need, and how the hold window differs between NIPSCO and Columbia Gas of Ohio.
POA and legal authority submission: The right language to use when calling so reps don't confuse your power of attorney with the utility's landlord "Property Owner Agreement" program — a terminology trap that derails many caregiver calls.
Online account and app setup: How to route billing alerts and notifications to a caregiver-managed phone or email when the customer can still consent, including Columbia Gas's multi-account app feature.
Deceased customer and estate handling: What documentation local offices require to transfer, continue, or cancel service after a customer's death, and why POA authority ends at death.
Call script: A ready-to-use script for NIPSCO and Columbia Gas covering every caregiver scenario, including the exact language to use when requesting legal agent recognition.
Common problems and fixes: Troubleshooting for rejected third-party notification forms, medical certification mistakes, privacy barriers, terminology confusion, and unexpected payment fees.