Community Partnership Report - Low-income and Customer Programs
- Energy Efficiency for Low-Income Customers
- Warm Spirit
- Customer Assistance Residential Energy Support Program (CARES)
UES works with its customers, aid groups and local governments to provide assistance to customers across the state who struggle to pay their utility bills.
We recently joined the Arizona Community Action Association in a successful effort to increase funding for Arizona’s energy assistance program to $1.5 million. The additional $500,000 will assist an additional 2,500 low-income households.
Energy Efficiency for Low-Income Customers
UES helps low-income residential electric and gas customers to reduce their energy bills through the installation of energy-efficient windows, upgraded insulation, replacement of water heating equipment and other home improvements through its Low-income Outreach Program. During fiscal year 2008, UES contributed more than $190,000 worth of home improvements for more than 90 families. UES funds projects up to $1,600 for electric customers and up to $2,000 for gas customers.
Customers Donate to 'Warm Spirit'
UES customers help ease the cost of energy bills for families who need extra financial assistance. To make a donation, customers have the option of rounding up a monthly payment to the next dollar amount, adding a fixed dollar amount to a bill each month or making a single contribution.
All proceeds go to help households in need.
Customer Assistance Residential Energy Support Program (CARES)
UES' CARES program offers assistance to families with a combined household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For our electric customers, the program provides discounts of up to 30 percent off their monthly bills, depending on usage. Similar discounts are available at higher usage levels for customers who require the use of life support equipment in their home. For our gas customers, CARES provides discounted monthly fees and a 15 cent per therm discount for up to 100 therms of gas use each month from November through April.
In fiscal year, more than $1 million worth of CARES discounts were granted to UES customers across the state.
