Everett, Wash.
Published: Monday, October 6, 2008

Energy aid is going unclaimed despite need, PUD says

By David Chircop
Herald Writer

 EVERETT -- Despite increasing electricity shut-offs for tardy payments, nearly $1 million dollars set aside to help low-income Snohomish County PUD customers pay their power bills went unclaimed this year.

The utility's year-round low-income and senior energy assistance programs -- which can slice power bills by up to 60 percent -- helped 1,660 fewer households than anticipated between last fall and now.

PUD officials had planned to assist 12,000 households. Instead, only 10,340 families filled out the needed paperwork.

"We have in effect underperformed," PUD Commissioner Dave Aldrich said. "We just can't seem to get all those people who are eligible to fill out those forms."

About 17,000 PUD customers have had their power shut off for late payments so far this year, an increase of 3 percent from this time last year.

Charities and a county-run energy assistance program say more people this year are seeking financial help to keep their electricity from being disconnected.

To reach out to more struggling families, PUD commissioners voted earlier this month to streamline its assistance programs, merging its application process with a federally funded county assistance program.

The utility is also expected to increase the budget of the program next year to $5 million, up from $4.7 million this year.

Commissioners had considered raising the program's income cap, which now is set at 125 percent of the federal poverty level, but decided against raising the income ceiling after learning the PUD's program guidelines are comparable to other utilities in the region.

Instead, "we are trying to do more intensive outreach," Commissioner Toni Olson said.

Roughly 13,000 families are expected to participate in the PUD's assistance program next year.

The PUD program offers discounts of 20 percent, 40 percent and 60 percent off normal rates.

To qualify, seniors 62 and older cannot earn more than $24,563 annually. For people younger than 62, the income cap is $26,500 for a family of four.

As family budgets are squeezed by rising fuel and food costs, more people seem to be falling behind on their bills, said Eurdice Haggard, a program manager for North Sound 211, the county's social services hotline.

Haggard said she has talked with people who chose to buy groceries instead of paying their overdue power bills, only to have their electricity shut off and a refrigerator filled with perishable food spoil.

"A lot more people are actually getting cut off, which is hard for us, because there aren't really any resources out there to assist people," she said.

Snohomish County's energy assistance office, funded largely by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, was set to open last week, and an American Red Cross energy assistance program is temporarily on hold.

"We expect to see a large increase in the number of households seeking help with heating this season," said Bill Beuscher, supervisor for the county's energy assistance and weatherization programs.

During the 2007-08 heating season, 1,900 families whose power had been shut off or who were within 72 hours of being disconnected received help from the county program, Beuscher said.

That's an increase of 600 families seeking emergency help from the previous winter, when 1,299 families received emergency help. Overall, the county assisted nearly 6,000 PUD electricity customers and Puget Sound Energy natural gas customers last winter.

Those who received help with electricity bills received an average of $408 in assistance. People who received help for natural gas saw an average of $360 in assistance.

Beuscher said the county will likely get a big boost from Congress in funding for energy assistance this winter, which will allow it to serve more than 1,000 additional families.

"It's a substantial increase and it couldn't have come at a better time," he said. "With the softening economy and more pressure on low-income families in our county, it will go a long way in averting a crisis situation for many of those households."



Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.



Get help with bills

More information on the Snohomish County PUD's energy assistance programs: 425-783-1000

More information on Snohomish County's energy assistance program: 425-388-3880
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