New EEI Report Shows How Electric Companies Are Supporting Customers, Helping Families Manage Energy Costs

New EEI Report Shows How Electric Companies Are Supporting Customers, Helping Families Manage Energy Costs

New EEI Report Shows How Electric Companies Are Supporting Customers, Helping Families Manage Energy Costs

New report showcases customer assistance programs and energy-saving initiatives

The report showcases efforts such as:

• Direct financial relief: Exelon's Customer Relief Fund, FPL's Saving Steps, PG&E's bill credits and discounts, Hawaiian Electric's disaster-related bill credits, Georgia Power's annual customer savings, and Duke Energy's Share the Light.
• Home upgrades and energy efficiency: Ameren's Efficiency is for Everyone campaign, Dominion Energy's EnergyShare, Duke Energy's weatherization services, and FPL's Community Energy Saver.
• Flexible bill management and customer education: Entergy's Bill Toolkit, Alabama Power's TempCheck and Energy Answers, American Electric Power subsidiary Indiana Michigan Power's Bill Support Center, APS' Let's Talk and Straight Talk, and personalized energy tools from SDG&E.
• Community-based access to assistance: Puget Sound Energy partners with libraries, food banks, Tribal communities, affordable housing providers, and other trusted local organizations while offering multilingual support, paper applications, and one-on-one enrollment assistance. Other efforts include National Grid's Consumer Advocacy team and Mississippi Power's benefits screener developed with Single Stop.
• Customer-driven energy savings: OG&E programs including SmartHours and Energy Insights, Portland General Electric's Flex Power campaign, Xcel Energy's assistance, efficiency, and customer education initiatives, and PG&E's Energy Action Guide and SmartRate program.

Addressing the Drivers of Rising Costs

The report also highlights how EEI and our member companies are working to address the underlying drivers of higher energy costs. These efforts include advocating for permitting reform to help bring new energy supply online more quickly, investing in a more resilient electric grid, and ensuring that large new electricity users contribute their fair share to the infrastructure needed to serve them.

Electric companies are also working to make bills more transparent and to reduce charges they don't control. In many states, taxes, fees, and government-set surcharges account for a significant portion of a customer's bill. Companies are responding by clarifying how bills are broken down and advocating to lower these charges, from PPL's push to repeal Pennsylvania's gross receipts tax (about $12/month in savings) to a recently approved reduction in Connecticut's public benefits charge (a projected $30-$34/month).

Supporting LIHEAP

For many families, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is also a vital source of aid. Each year, electric companies help eligible customers enroll in LIHEAP, contribute millions of dollars in direct support to energy assistance programs for vulnerable customers, and provide access to home weatherization programs.

The need for LIHEAP remains critical nationwide, and EEI, our member companies, and our industry partners are committed to helping policymakers recognize just how essential this program is to eligible Americans. Electricity customers looking for assistance can visit eei.org/affordability for more information about local resources that may be available in their community, including LIHEAP eligibility.

The report is available at https://www.eei.org/customer-programs.