Cascade Low-Income Assistance Program Now Available to More Customers, More Funds Available per Household

Cascade Natural Gas has expanded its temporary low-income assistance program, the Big HEART grant program, to help residential customers with their past-due bills. Starting in April 2022, more customers will qualify for temporary assistance. Those who already qualified may be eligible for greater funds.

Who Qualifies for Big HEART Grants

• Households with incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level (was previously 60% of Oregon’s median income)
• Available bill assistance per household: $2,500 (was previously $1,500)
• Funds will be available until Cascade has reached its spending limit or regulators close the program.

Automatic Hardship Grant

This grant is available to customers who received low-income energy assistance any time in the previous 24 months.

• The Automatic Hardship Grant will automatically apply to past-due balances up to the $2,500 cap.
• Eligible customers do not need to take any action to receive the assistance.
• Cascade will issue these grants in order from oldest to most recent balance based on eligibility reports starting April 2021.

Financial Hardship Grant

This grant is available to customer households with incomes up to 300% of the Federal Poverty Level who express any type of financial hardship.

• Customers with past-due balances who have previously received the Financial Hardship Grant can receive this grant again.
• Customers must request this grant (funds are not automatically granted) to help cover past-due balances up to the $2,500 cap.
• Oregon’s Community Action Agencies are helping Cascade process applications for this grant.
• Contact Cascade or a Community Action Agency and self-certify your income verbally or in writing to see if you are eligible. (See contact information below.)

Check Your Eligibility and Receive Assistance

Call Cascade customer service at (888) 522-1130, Monday-Friday from 7:30am to 6:30pm. See Community Action Agencies organized by county here. (Your local Community Action Agency can also refer you to additional energy assistance resources.)

Cascade will reach out to customers about the grants through letters, auto calls, and email. This information will also be available on Cascade’s website and on social media.

Permanent Assistance Programs Are Coming

This assistance program is a result of the 2021 Energy Affordability Act. The law allowed regulators to help customers with energy burdens through bill assistance programs. All Oregon utilities have had similar temporary programs in place for the past year. Permanent programs (which will replace the temporary ones) should be launched by the end of 2022.

Cascade claims that its Big HEART program has helped drop customer past-due balances by 61%. Additionally, it claims that the number of customers with overdue bills is now below pre-pandemic levels. We commend Cascade on its initiative in expanding this program. CUB expects Cascade’s revised program and outreach will help more struggling utility customers receive much-needed bill assistance.

In the meantime, we will keep working with community advocates, regulators, and all utilities on developing long-term programs to reduce the energy burden of our most vulnerable neighbors.

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