Programs News

Low-income households struggling to keep up with the utility bills can find it impossible to catch up when they start to pile on.

There are local and state resources to help reduce or pay for utilities for customers and assist the ones having the risk of their energy cut off. Low-income households can apply for the following programs right now to receive the much-needed assistance.

Fresno EOC

Fresno’s Economic Opportunities Commission (EOC) offers one-time financial assistance to low-income households so that they can pay for their energy bills for any resident of Fresno County.

Likewise, the residents of Fresno county can also seek assistance from Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) while paying for electricity, gas, propane, wood, or oil.

The maximum amount of assistance available is $3000 for eligible applicants. The ones who have received a notice of disconnection or are at risk of getting the energy cut off can reach out to the Energy Crisis Intervention Program to stop the energy from being cut off.

The eligibility conditions for these programs include:

• Be a resident of Fresno County
• Living in a low-income household
• Having a valid SSID card
• Having proof of Income
• Valid US identification form
• Current energy bill

LIHEAP applications can be filled out online or downloaded and mailed to the official address. You can also request assistance with your application by calling out at the toll-free number.

United Way- Fresno and Madera County

United Way is a nonprofit organization that offers residents of Fresno and Madera counties around $500 credit for electricity and gas. The qualifying applicants can get this assistance once every 12 months.

Another program known as The Relief for Energy Assistance Through Community Help (REACH) program is also available to provide the much needed assistance. But this program is only meant for those who have received 15-day or 48-hour electricity shut-off notice.

Applicants need to fulfill the following qualifications to qualify for the REACH program:

• Have not received REACH assistance in the past 12 months
• Income does not exceed REACH income guidelines
• Received the shut-off notice
• The applicants do not require any documentation to fill out an application. A specialist reaches out to the application to seek more information after you complete the application.

The total assistance amount given to the applicants will vary and depend on the past-due utility bill. You can reach out to the toll-free number to request assistance with your application.

PG&E Financial assistance- CARE and FERA

PG&E has multiple programs in place to assist you in paying your monthly utility bill. The qualifying candidates can get a discount of 20% from the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) program.

Another program offered by PG&E is the Family Electric Rate Assistance (FERA) program for households of three or more. The households qualifying for this program have a discount of 18% on their monthly electricity bill.

The application process for both CARE and FERA programs is the same. The applicant will be asked to sign in to the PG&E account to access the application.

The requirements to qualify for the CARE and FERA program are as follows:

• Staying at the address where the discount applies
• Household income sources
• Fulfilling the income guidelines
• No sharing of energy meter with another household
• The electric usage should not exceed six times
• You need to renew your eligibility every two years