Public Power - January/February 2009 - (Page 15)

had already been battered hard by high gasoline prices, plunging home values, resetting adjustable mortgages and rising unemployment when the bottom dropped out of the stock market and banks and brokerage firms started keeling over right and left. Middle- and high-income families are likely to weather this economic storm, but lowincome families are in dire straits. Energy is now an expense weighed against food and medication for those who cannot afford all three. To help low-income customers, public power utilities offer an array of programs through discounts and grants for emergency assistance, often through coordination with social service and other organizations to provide funds. Most offer help in reducing energy consumption, frequently through energy audits, weatherization and upgrading customers’ energy-inefficient appliances, such as refrigerators. Whatever utilities do, however, more always seems needed. California’s Silicon Valley is not usually associated with financial need, but Silicon Valley Power, which provides electricity to 45,000 residents of the area, has 1,100 low-income customers who qualify for assistance. The utility’s primary low-income program, started in 1998, is a 25 percent billing discount. “This was a start, but we wanted to do more,” said Larry Owens, a spokesman for the utility. From 2003 to 2005, the utility offered an award-winning refrigerator give-away program. “Low-income customers tend to keep their refrigerators forever,” Owens said. On a first-come, first-serve basis, 50 customers each year exchanged their old, energy-hogging behemoths for new, energy-efficient units. In total, Silicon Valley Power replaced about 150 refrigerators, spending less than $55,000 for all aspects of the program, including recycling the old appliances and their Freon. “The new units use about 450 kilowatt-hours per year, and they’re replacing something that used two to four times that,” Owens said. In 2006, the utility also gave 700 fans to customers to reduce air conditioning use. In 2007, Silicon Valley Power began automatically enrolling everyone living in a housing facility identified as low-inwww.APPAnet.org Americans come by the local social service agency into its discount program. “This is one of the synergies you get when you align with other organizations on the eligibility criteria,” Owens said. To the north, Vera Water and Power provides electricity and water to 9,700 customers in the Spokane Valley of eastern Washington. Its program offers low-income emergency assistance by channeling customer donations to Spokane Valley Partners, the only comprehensive social-services organization serving the valley. “When a customer gets behind on his or her electricity bill, that’s often the first sign of trouble,” said Jeremy Keller, Vera’s credit manager. Vera sends the customer to Spokane Valley Partners, for help with their energy bills and other issues. Vera’s guidelines permit its donations to fund up to $75 for an emergency grant per customer per year. Since Spokane Valley Partners coordinates resources from the entire community, however, it can add funds to bulk up that one-time grant. “Vera provides money on a month-to-month basis,” said Steve tion Disesto Irriga er and Mod y bills by ey Pow r electricit Silicon Vall reduce thei , stomers tors for old trict help cu r refrigera Energy Sta cled. cy ew swapping n units are re els. The old oto courtesy ficient mod . Bottom ph wer less ef n Valley Po urtesy Silico Top photo co District. Irrigation Modesto January-February 2009 15 http://www.APPAnet.org

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Public Power - January/February 2009

Public Power - December 2008 Contents Perspective 10 Questions Heat or Eat? Achieving Excellence in Nuclear Operations Training Grand Ambitions for Wind Power Visions of Green Carbon Trading Across The Pond Reliability Green Energy Customer Service DEED Hometown Connections Parting Shot

Public Power - January/February 2009

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