Oregon awarded $40.2 million in energy assistance funds
By Joe Hathaway on Monday, October 30th, 2023 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
NORTHEAST OREGON — U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley announced that Oregon was awarded $40.2 million in federal funding to help low-income households and Tribes pay for energy bills, prevent utility shut-offs and more.
Administered through the Administration for Children and Families’ Office of Community Services at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, this funding from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps low-income households pay home heating and cooling bills, prevent energy shutoffs, restore services, make minor energy-related home repairs, and weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient.
Locally, Community Connections of Northeast Oregon is the Community Action Agency for Baker, Union, Wallowa and Grant counties. Its LIHEAP program typically runs from December 1st through August 31st each year.“Eligibility typically goes up a little every year. Senior and disabled people who have applied in the past are mailed an application otherwise applications can be picked up at our Senior Centers/County Offices and dropped off here,” says Joe Hayes, County Manager for Community Connection of Baker County. “The amount of assistance/credit a household receives is based on a sliding scale. The lower the income the larger the credit and higher income equals less credit.”Hayes says the average assistant energy credit pre-pandemic was $200-$300 then it jumped to $800-$900. This past year they served just under 500 households in Baker County and gave out $420,000 in assistance funds.
“I don’t want to imply that these past years are going to be the future. The government has been throwing money at us to serve low income households since COVID.” says Hayes.
For information of eligibility, visit https://ccno.org/utility-assistance-programs/
