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| APPRISE Projects: |
| Energy Survey Research and Policy Analysis |
Energy Poverty in Arizona
The National Low Income Energy Consortium (NLIEC) has begun to produce information that enhances knowledge and casts public attention upon the low-income residential energy issues and hardships facing the particular region in which their annual conference is held. In 2005, NLIEC asked APPRISE to conduct an analysis of energy poverty throughout Arizona, in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, and in specific Phoenix-area neighborhoods. APPRISE used Census, Current Population Survey, and American Housing Survey data to produce this information, which was presented at the annual conference in Phoenix and compiled for a report on energy poverty in Arizona.
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Atlantic City Electric and Delmarva Power Energy Poverty Research Atlantic City Electric and Delmarva Power, electric utility companies serving customers in New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia, asked APPRISE to present data on low-income energy poverty issues affecting customers in their service territory at a conference for community action agency personnel. APPRISE utilized Census, Current Population Survey, and American Housing Survey data to produce statistics that highlighted these issues. |
California Low-Income Needs Assessment Study APPRISE developed information on the energy needs of California’s low-income utility customers using public data sets including the Current Population Survey and the 2000 Census. The study results will be used to set policy for the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) Program and the Low-Income Energy Efficiency (LIEE) Program. |
Energy Programs Consortium Survey on Increased Fuel Costs APPRISE conducted a survey with households across the U.S. to examine the extent to which increased home energy and gasoline costs have impacted these households and how they have coped with increased prices. The purpose of this study was to develop an understanding of the sacrifices and tradeoffs that low, moderate, and middle income households have made in response to rising fuel costs. Households were asked about beneficial behaviors such as energy conservation and investment in more efficient appliances, and about dangerous sacrifices such as going without food and medicine, and keep the home at an unsafe temperatures. The study showed that increased home energy and gasoline costs have impacted households at all income levels. Low-income households, as expected, have sacrificed the most as a result of these price increases. Low- to middle-income households are likely to have gone without food and medicine and to have compromised their energy usage. Low- to moderate-income households are likely to have missed energy bill payments and even have their service terminated. They are also likely to have gotten behind on credit card bills, mortgage or rent, and car payments. All income groups however, have reduced discretionary spending, driving, and heating and cooling usage. All income groups have also made investments in more energy efficient heating, cooling, and appliances to bring down their costs. |
| LIHEAP Energy Burden Evaluation The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is one of seven block grants originally authorized by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1981. In 1994, the purpose of the LIHEAP statute was amended to clarify that the program is "to assist low income households, particularly those with the lowest income, that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy, primarily in meeting their immediate home energy needs."
Furthermore, Congressional Committees indicated in 1994 that LIHEAP grantees needed to reassess their LIHEAP benefit structures to ensure that they are targeting those low income households that have the highest energy costs or needs. The purpose of this evaluation study was to assess to what extent the LIHEAP program is serving the lowest income households that have the highest energy burdens. The study uses data from the 2001 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) to examine the distribution of income and energy burden for low income households and identify those that have the lowest incomes and highest energy burdens (i.e., high burden households). The study uses the 2001 RECS LIHEAP Supplement to measure the effectiveness of the FY 2001 LIHEAP program in serving high burden households. The study quantifies program effectiveness using targeting performance measures. The study also identifies procedures for updating energy burden targeting performance statistics in the future. |
| LIHEAP Home Energy Notebook APPRISE provides program support to the Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which is a federally funded program to help eligible low-income households meet their home heating and cooling needs. The LIHEAP Home Energy Notebook focuses on the home energy mission of LIHEAP by providing LIHEAP grantees with the latest national and regional data on home energy consumption, expenditures, and burden; low income home energy trends; and the LIHEAP program performance measurement system. |
| LIHEAP Performance Management Project, Recipiency Targeting Analysis for Elderly and Young Child Households APPRISE previously worked with the federal LIHEAP office to develop a performance measurement plan for targeting heating assistance to households with vulnerable members and a logic model to support that performance measurement plan. APPRISE also developed a separate model to examine the targeting of elderly households. APPRISE then extended the logic models to address all LIHEAP program components including cooling assistance, crisis assistance, home energy-related equipment repair and replacement, weatherization, and Assurance 16 activities. APPRISE also developed a logic model for targeting LIHEAP income eligible households with at least one young child. The final report recommended an integrated strategy for implementing all of the logic models. |
LIHEAP Program Analysis |
| LIHEAP Targeting Performance Measurement Statistics: GPRA Validation of Estimation Procedures LIHEAP Targeting Performance Measurement Statistics: GPRA Validation of Estimation Procedures This study examined and compared alternative procedures for estimating the recipiency targeting performance measurement indicators used by the LIHEAP program to measure program performance. The "recipiency targeting index"
for a specific group of households is computed by comparing the percent of LIHEAP households that are members of the target group to the percent of all income eligible households that are members of the target group. The study showed that CPS data are the best data source for making estimates of the number of LIHEAP income eligible households and the administrative data are the best data source for making estimates of LIHEAP recipient households. |
Multi-Sponsor Study of Ratepayer-Funded Low-Income Energy Programs The purpose of this study was to furnish comprehensive information on ratepayer-funded low-income energy programs. The report includes information on and analysis of the energy needs of low-income households, the legal and regulatory framework supporting ratepayer-funded programs, program design options, and the findings from evaluations of program effectiveness. |
National Energy Assistance Survey (2003, 2005, 2008, 2009) APPRISE conducted surveys of LIHEAP recipients in 2003, 2005 and 2008. APPRISE is currently conducting a survey of 2009 recipients to update information about LIHEAP-recipient households that was collected in the previous surveys. These surveys documented changes in the affordability of energy bills, the need for LIHEAP, and the choices that low-income households make when faced with unaffordable energy bills. The 2009 Survey will interview recipients in 13 states. Stratified samples of fiscal year 2009 LIHEAP recipients will be chosen from each of the 13 state LIHEAP databases. The study will characterize the LIHEAP population for 2009 and document the challenges that these households face in addition to their energy bills, including unemployment, lack of health insurance, and medical issues. |
Washington LIHEAP Research APPRISE conducted research to assist Washington's Department of Community, Trade, and Economic Development assess low-income household needs for energy conservation and energy assistance services. The research included an analysis of the fuels used, energy costs, and energy burden for low-income households in WA; documentation of current energy prices and assistance programs offered by utility companies in WA; and recommendations for the types of energy assistance programs that may best meet the needs that are documented in the study. |
Washington State Energy Assistance Survey
APPRISE conducted a statewide survey of LIHEAP-recipient households in Washington to document the challenges that these households face in meeting their energy needs. The Washington State Energy Assistance Survey documented the need for LIHEAP and the choices that low-income households make when faced with unaffordable energy bills. Research showed that LIHEAP plays a significant role in alleviating some of the problems caused by high energy bills. Seventy-one percent of LIHEAP-recipient households said that they would have had to keep their home at an unsafe or unhealthy temperature if LIHEAP had not been available, and 95 percent said that LIHEAP had been very important in helping them to meet their needs. However, a large share of LIHEAP-recipient households in Washington still face difficult choices due to unaffordable energy bills. The survey documented the percentage of these households that go without food or medical care, keep their home at unsafe or unhealthy temperatures, and use dangerous heating methods. |