Rolling up their sleeves to pitch in a helping hand in the Midwest, utility Ameren Missouri pledged $3.5 million as part of the Covid-19 Clean Slate Program, with company president Marty Lyons acknowledging with the action the prolonged reality that “there are a lot of Missouri families struggling right now and having to make some tough financial decisions in light of this pandemic—we get that and we want to help. Our COVID-19 Clean Slate program is similar to one we had following the economic crisis in 2009, which helped thousands of Missourians pay off their energy bills. With so many customers in need today, we felt it was important to bring back the program, which is why we worked closely with the Missouri Office of the Public Council to make this happen. The summer heat in our region can be extremely dangerous for people without access to air conditioning, particularly for seniors and those with medical conditions. Our partnership with Cooldownstlouis.org, Cooldownmissouri.org and community action agencies from across our service territory helps ensure our customers can stay safe and healthy as temperatures begin to rise.”
As news of an additional $15 million in emergency LIHEAP funding hit the airwaves, Jennifer Tidball, Acting Director, and Department of Social Services, noted in June that as “we want Missourians to remain healthy, especially when dangerously high temperatures can make homes unsafe. We are grateful to utility companies for providing temporary relief to Missourians who cannot pay their utility bills; however, this cannot last forever. As we move Missouri’s Show Me Strong Recovery Plan forward, we want to make sure Missouri citizens know that LIHEAP may be available to help with cooling.”
Next door in neighboring Iowa, Sioux City’s Community Action Agency Executive Director Jean Logan offered her opinion that the application process was made slightly more challenging within the sphere of new faces applying because “A.) I don’t think they even know that there is a program and B.) they don’t know that our regulations are more flexible now. Because of the layoffs if you can’t in the standard way, you know looking back for 30 days, or looking at your tax returns, if we can't qualify you that way we can now use a 30 day look ahead period and the reason that is wonderful is because we would anticipate that if you are on regular unemployment that you would probably qualify for this program.”
Similar messages were being broadcast around the U.S., with the Dept. of Health and Human Services and Office of Social Services way down South in Baton Rouge, Louisiana that nearly $14 million in LIHEAP funds were available, with Louisiana Housing Corporation Executive Director E. Keith Cunningham Jr. sharing the welcome news that “during this public health emergency, our top priority is to protect the health and safety of those most vulnerable in our community. The CARES Act funding is critical to ensuring these residents have the support they need during this crisis. We are committed to identifying and creating housing solutions that will benefit the citizens of Louisiana.”
Out West, the Los Angeles Times reported on a more massive version of the same dilemma that “as states begin to reopen from coronavirus-related shutdowns, a wave of unpaid utility bills coming due will not only saddle Americans still out of work with new debt, it could also drive up rates for everyone. And the $900 million that Congress provided in the CARES Act to help low-income households pay their utility bills won’t be nearly enough to ease the problem, advocates and experts say.” Even with receipt in May of $49.5 million in LIHEAP assistance, Southern California Edison has already reported over 150,000 households fall behind on utility bills in a one-month span, and advocates like David Pomerantz of the Energy Policy Institute are already warning that the problem could soon get worse as one where “if you imagine that somebody hasn’t been drawing a paycheck for 3 to 4 months and wouldn’t be able to afford their utility bills during that time, they’re not going to be magically able to discover 3 months’ worth of income.”
For families facing the same challenge throughout the state, PG&E Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer Laurie Giammona delivered as part of the good news that Pacific Gas and Electric Company residential customers could look forward to a much-needed California Climate Credit of just under $63 each, announcing that “during the COVID-19 public health crisis, we know that many of our customers may face uncertainty and financial instability due to school and childcare closures, job loss and other economic impacts. We want customers to be aware that the semi-annual California Climate Credit will help reduce their energy costs this month. We also have numerous tips, tools and programs for customers to help lower their energy usage and bills. We encourage customers to evaluate those options and take advantage of them.”
Up the Pacific Northwest, as $9 million in crisis funding was released, the state’s Commerce Director Lisa Brown was sympathetic to families in her announcement that the money had been released, painting a desperate picture for her constituents where readers had to “imagine not having enough funds to pay rent, the heat bill, and put food on the table. Thousands of families in Washington face this predicament, and the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this crisis in our state. We are working with our partners to disperse this funding as quickly as possible.”
Out in Maui, with the sun beating down and the already-intense backdrop of the Coronavirus wreaking havoc on the island’s summer tourist economy, the Maui Economic Opportunity Inc announced they were accepting summer LIHEAP applications courtesy of two options for families in need, the first via “the Energy Crisis Intervention program assists low-income households in crisis. These are households where the electric or gas service has been disconnected or will be terminated and the household has received a disconnect notice from the utility company. Applications for ECI are accepted year-round, however the monthly subsidy amount is limited. The Energy Credit program assists low-income households who are not in crisis and due to limited resources need assistance with bill payment for the heating and cooling of their residence.”
With most advocates focused on the moment, National Geographic reported in mid-June that “a dangerous and uncharted trifecta of the pandemic, high unemployment, and extreme heat is looming, and cities are scrambling to make plans… As the summer sets in, local governments nationwide are adopting a range of measures to help vulnerable people stay cool and safe, from moratoriums on power shut-offs to giving away air conditioners to operating public cooling centers with social distancing rules in place.” Spotlighting arguably one of the most traditionally-vulnerable populations who were especially at-risk given the perfect storm of the covid lock-down, economic and weather challenges, National Geo underscored that “the elderly are a special concern. With eight out of 10 COVID-19 deaths in adults 65 years old and older, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advises them and those with a serious health condition to shelter in place. But that could be dangerous in extreme heat…Other large cities are also developing plans to protect their most at-risk residents. New York City, for instance, will modify its existing cooling centers to allow social distancing requirements and create others at sports venues and auditoriums. As part of a comprehensive $55 million COVID-19 Heat Wave Plan, the city will provide more than 74,000 free air conditioners to low-income seniors and help pay electricity bills for 450,000 residents. New York’s energy utility, ConEd, has suspended service disconnections and waived late payment fees.”
Reporting by J.B.
Sources:
https://ktiv.com/2020/04/13/community-action-agency-extends-liheap-program/
https://www.wafb.com/2020/05/13/energy-bill-assistance-now-available-low-income-households-ebr/
https://standard-democrat.com/story/2816970.html
https://mauinow.com/2020/06/09/maui-low-income-home-energy-assistance-program/