Oregonians Speak Up for the OEAP Bill (HB 3792)

The House Committee On Commerce and Consumer Protections held a public hearing and written comment period for HB 3792 on March 27th. We expect a vote in this committee in the coming weeks. If you would like to help move HB 3792 through the legislature, email your house representative and share your support for this key piece of legislation!

On Thursday, March 27th, the House Committee On Commerce and Consumer Protections held a public hearing on HB 3792, the OEAP funding bill. CUB shared testimonies from community members, and HB 3792 received strong support.

OEAP is customer-funded by a small amount collected on each PGE and Pacific Power electricity bill. House Bill 3792 would increase funding for OEAP to $20 million each year, costing PGE and Pacific Power customers less than $1.50 per month. These funds are only available to low-income residential customers of these utilities who meet eligibility requirements. OEAP is a vital source of energy assistance because it is more flexible than federal bill payment assistance (LIHEAP). As we continue to face uncertainty about federal funding, this program will provide stable and consistent assistance for Oregonians.

Read More: Support Expanding Energy Assistance with (HB3792)

The State of Energy Affordability in Oregon, and Why OEAP is Necessary.

As bills have gone up, bill payment assistance programs have largely stagnated, leading to rising power shutoffs. Since 2021, PGE and Pacific Power households’ energy bills have increased by nearly 50%. In 2024, these utilities together disconnected nearly 58,000 households—the most since reporting started in 2018. Oregon needs to increase funding for the Oregon Energy Assistance Program (OEAP) to meet growing needs.

Since OEAP was first established almost twenty years ago, core funding for the program has not kept up. As a result, less than one in five Oregonians who need and qualify for energy assistance can access it. House Bill 3792 would double funding for OEAP to $40 million each year, costing PGE and Pacific Power customers less than $1.50 per month.

Over the past months, CUB has been in communication with too many community members who’ve been hit hard by rising energy costs. Those who have reached out have shared that winters are the most difficult, as the increased usage throws off budgeting. And in the case of fixed-income customers, winter bills entirely exceed what they receive monthly.

CUB has worked hard to help struggling community members navigate the assistance process. Too often, low funds for energy assistance create roadblocks. Without increasing the funding for Oregon’s Energy Assistance Program, community members will continue to be left stranded until they’re inevitably disconnected.

Assistance Providers and Community Members Share Their Stories!

HB 3792 received strong support! We heard stories of hardship from impacted community members and testimonies from service providers familiar with how increased funding would benefit the communities they serve.

Cate Webber, an impacted community member, spoke about her own experiences with rising energy costs, the toll they take on her, and her support for OEAP:

“We, my house and I, are on a fixed income that will, for the year 2025, sum up to $11,520.  Yup, $960/month. The mortgage is $882 which leaves $78 for everything else. Fortunately, I’m on SNAP and state health. Unfortunately, my house isn’t. My SNAP card is a cash one so I can squeeze a cash-back on purchases sometimes. Between that and the random gift-check from family, I basically lurch from shut-off notice to shut-off notice. (...) We need to have a reliable funding source, independent from what is happening federally, that can help people like myself throughout the state. This small increase on what is already being collected by PGE and Pacific Power on a per-invoice basis, when multiplied by the number of invoices per month, should make a significant difference in helping folks going through difficult times and help them feel human again. I’ m happy to pay that fee on my bill if it means that others are healthy, in a warm home, and not fretting over their lights and heat being shut off like I have.  It also makes me feel like I’m, in essence, reimbursing a loan granted to me.”

“This small increase on what is already being collected by PGE and Pacific Power. (...) I’m happy to pay that fee on my bill if it means that others are healthy, in a warm home, and not fretting over their lights and heat being shut off like I have.”  -Cate Webber, Oregon CUB Community Member

Sahhan McKelvey, Director of Advocacy and Engagement at Self Enhancement, Inc., shared insight into the growing assistance needs in Oregon:

“At SEI we work directly with the community of people who are impacted the most by wage compression, economic uncertainty, rising housing costs, and the rising cost of utility bills. The need for assistance is great, and the resources available to meet this need must be congruent with the scope of need that exists. (...) In 2024, SEI provided 1.3 million dollars of energy assistance, and this # will be similar in 2025. Utility bills for PGE and Pacific Power have increased nearly 50% since 2021. One thing we know is that low and middle-income households have not seen their earnings increase by 50% since 2021. This means for SEI as a single agency, we have 1.3 million dollars this year to try to meet a 3 million dollar need in our community. This has led to nearly 58 thousand households being disconnected in 2024.”

“Utility bills for PGE and Pacific Power have increased nearly 50% since 2021. One thing we know is that low and middle income households have not seen their earnings increase by 50% since 2021. ” - Sahhan McKelvey, Director of Advocacy and Engagement

David Beltran Barajas, CUB’s Community Organizer, testified on behalf of an impacted community member, BC Shelby.

“BC is a wonderful community member I’ve gotten to know over the past few months. He’s an older gentleman living off of his Social Security, which totals a little more than 1200 Monthly. BC, like many Oregonians, has been struggling to pay his utilities. He is also living in an energy-burdened unit that has outdated cadet baseboard heaters and could benefit from better weatherization. His story is the same as many community members I’ve spoken with over the past few months. Every winter in a bid to stay warm, he gets hit with unaffordable bills, largely due to the back-to-back rate increases from utilities in the state. (...) BC isn’t struggling because he can’t budget, BC gets a fixed income, that between rent, food, and energy is picked apart with nothing left over. BC, like so many Oregonians, is being priced out of life through their utilities and other costs. It is undeniable that we have an issue with energy affordability in this state.”

“BC isn’t struggling because he can’t budget, BC gets a fixed income, that between rent, food, and energy is picked apart with nothing left over. BC, like so many Oregonians, is being priced out of life through their utilities and other costs. It is undeniable that we have an issue with energy affordability in this state.” - David Beltran Barajas, CUB Community Organizer

Get Involved with the OEAP Bill

While the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection has closed out its public comment period, you can still let your reps know that HB 3792 is important to you. Supporters can write to their representatives and ask them to support HB 3179.

Keep an eye out for our work on energy affordability during this legislative session. The FAIR Energy Act is working its way through the legislative session and should be up for a working session & hopefully a floor vote soon!

If you’re interested in getting involved, check out CUB’s Action Alert. You can also reach out to .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to connect with our Community Organizer and get some assistance on crafting a public testimony and talking to your legislators.

Stay Up to Date on Oregon Utility Issues

CUB will continue to advocate for people in Oregon on major utility issues. Sign up for the CUB email list for the latest updates, action alerts, and news on policies that affect the utilities your home relies on.

Donate to CUB

To keep up with CUB, like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter!

• Share this post on Facebook.
• Share this post on LinkedIn.
• Share this post with email.

« Back