The Public Utility Commission program that prevented at least 600,000 struggling Texans from getting their power cut off for non payment expired on Wednesday. But Texans who are getting disconnection notices may have somewhere else to turn for help.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act that Congress passed in March provides an extra $94 million to help eligible low-income Texans affected by the coronavirus pandemic pay their utility bills, according to the Texas Energy Poverty Research Institute, an Austin based research group that focuses on energy and fuel poverty in Texas.
The supplemental funding is in addition to the $163 million Texas received this year for low-income utility assistance under the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
The program, which is known as LIHEAP, helps to cover utility bills for low-income Texans. To be eligible, Texas households must not earn more than 150 percent of the federal poverty level which is $39,300 per year for a family of four.
Utility assistance funds are distributed through community action agencies in Texas. In Harris County, the designated agency is BakerRipley, the neighborhood development group in Bellaire which can be reached at (713) 590-2327.
RELATED: Electricity subsidy remains secret to most Texans, critics say
To find agencies in other counties, consult this list from the Texas Association of Community Action Agencies: https://tacaa.org/services-map,
Low-income households in Texas use 10 percent of their income on energy, compared to 3 percent for higher income households, according to the institute.
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October 02, 2020 at 06:00PM
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Disconnected? There may be another way to pay power bills - Houston Chronicle
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