ALERT: Proposed Federal Budget Eliminates Low Income Energy Assistance
Posted on March 16, 2017 by Bob Jenks
Tags, Energy
Like many of you, I am watching daily to see what kinds of changes are coming down from the Trump administration. So, when the White House budget was released on March 15, I took a look to see how energy programs were being affected. One of the most troubling things I found is that under the proposed 2018 budget, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) are being eliminated.
Since 2010, between 64,000 and 92,000 Oregon households have relied on LIHEAP to get them through the winter, with Oregon receiving between $35 million and $45 million each year. Those helped by this program include households with elderly citizens (34%), disabled Oregonians (37%), and families with children under 5 (21%). The few hundred dollars each household receives enables many to avoid shut-offs.
In addition to eliminating bill paying assistance, the Trump Administration’s budget proposes to eliminate federal support for low income weatherization. Through LIHEAP and WAP, Oregon receives $7.5 million per year to help weatherize the homes of low income households. This is a critical program in the Northwest.
From the 1930s to the mid-1970s, federal hydropower brought cheap power to this region, and kept Oregon electric rates low. As late as 1977, residential rates in several Oregon communities were less than a penny per kWh. As a result, many homes in Oregon are poorly weatherized, because home builders did not need to add much, if any, insulation. While a lot has been done to correct this, Oregon still has a fair number of older homes that lack basic weatherization.
Oregon is coming out of its coldest winter in 24 years, and of course, without weatherization, many households face extreme heating costs. Consequently they will also need federal energy assistance to keep the lights and heat on. But next year, without these programs to help, thousands of struggling families will not be able to pay that high bill and will have their electricity turned off. In turn, this will raise everyone’s rates, because utilities are allowed to recover “uncollectibles” from all customers.
Let me say this more succinctly. The LIHEAP and WAP programs are essential to thousands of Oregon households and are an important element of our energy system. Without them, there will be a significant increase in households getting disconnected, and families who are living without power and heat. Furthermore, by protecting those among us who are most vulnerable, we are also protecting all customers from higher utility bills.
What you can do:
Call your Congressional Representative and ask them to fund low income energy assistance and weatherization programs known as LIHEAP and WAP. Please note that Eastern Oregon, represented by Greg Walden, experiences more extreme winter weather and therefore will have exponentially more households who will experience shut-off. We encourage you all to call your representative especially if you live in Representative Walden’s Congressional District 2, and voice your concerns.
Note: To find your Congressional Representative, click here, select the “Representatives” tab, and enter your address.
District 1 – Suzanne Bonamici
DC Office: 439 Cannon House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-0855.
Beaverton Office: 12725 SW Millikan Way, Ste 220, Beaverton OR 97005; Phone: 503-469-6016.
District 2 - Greg Walden
DC Office: 2182 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-6730.
Medford Office: 14 N. Central Ave, Ste 112, Medford OR 97501; Phone: 541-776-4646.Toll-free: 800-533-3303.
La Grande Office: 1211 Washington Ave. La Grande OR 97850; Phone: 541-624-2400.
Bend Office: 1051 NW Bond St., Ste 400, Bend OR 97701; Phone: 541-389-4408.
District 3 - Earl Blumenauer
DC Office: 1111 Longworth House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-4811.
Portland Office: 911 NE 11th Ave., Suite 200, Portland OR 97232; Phone: 503-231-2300.
District 4 - Peter A. DeFazio
DC Office: 2134 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-6416.
Eugene Office: 405 East 8th Ave #2030, Eugene OR 97401; Phone: 541-465-6732.
Coos Bay Office: 125 Central Ave., Suite 350, Coos Bay OR 97420; Phone: 541-269-2609.
Roseburg Office: 612 SE Jackson St., Rm.9, Roseburg OR 97470; Phone: 541-440-3523.
District 5 – Kurt Schrader
DC Office: 2431 Rayburn House Office Building, Washington DC 20515; Phone: 202-225-5711.
Salem Office: 544 Ferry St, Ste 2, Salem OR 97301; Phone: 503-588-9100.
Oregon City Office: 621 High St, Oregon City OR 97045; Phone: 503-557-1324.
To keep up with CUB, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!
03/16/17 | 0 Comments | ALERT: Proposed Federal Budget Eliminates Low Income Energy Assistance