RESOURCE LIBRARY
APPRISE Selected Reports
Low-Income Bill Payment Assistance Program Research and Evaluation
Ameren’s Keeping Current Program provides monthly bill credits and arrearage reduction for customers who continue to make monthly bill payments. Their Keeping Cooling Program provides bill credits in the summer months to offset the costs of air conditioning usage. APPIRSE has conducted four process and impact evaluations of the program. These evaluations assessed program design, implementation, participation, retention, and impacts, and made recommendations for program improvements.
In 2020, APPRISE conducted a program design study to assess alternative bill payment designs and make recommendations for refinement or redesign of Ameren’s program. This study assessed program goals, explored options for program parameters, analyzed the outcomes of various program designs, reviewed best practices, and provided recommendations for changes to Ameren’s program. Download Here.
Ameren’s Keeping Current Program provides electric bill payment assistance and arrearage forgiveness to low-income customers. APPRISE conducted four evaluations of the Keeping Current Program that included surveys, in-depth interviews, analyses of program benefits delivered, and analysis of the program’s impact on affordability, bill payment, and collections actions. The reports are available for download here.
The Public Service Commission of Maryland (PSC) authorized BGE to develop a one-year Prepaid Pilot Program with electric-only and dual-service customers to test the feasibility and customer acceptance of a utility prepay service program. This program provides customers with the opportunity to pay for their energy in advance of use and make additional energy payments as needed. APPRISE conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the program to assess how the pilot impacted energy usage, energy costs, payment compliance, collections actions and costs, and disconnections. The research found that the pilot had several benefits for participants. Participants reported that it improved their control over energy expenses, helped them to pay off arrearages, avoid or reduce the length of their disconnections, and reduce their energy usage. A weather-normalized, comparison group adjusted billing analysis found that participants reduced their energy usage and improved their energy payments. However, it was difficult to draw conclusions about collections and disconnections because the pilot was during the COVID-19 Pandemic when disconnections were suspended. Download Here.
APPRISE conducted research to assist the Colorado’s Governor’s Commission on Low-Income Energy Assistance to develop recommendations to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the state’s low-income energy assistance services. The research included analysis of American Community Survey data, the Colorado LIHEAP database, and the Energy Outreach Colorado database; review and assessment of current LIHEAP procedures and implementation; surveys with participating and non-participating low-income households; and interviews with program managers at the state and agency level. Download Here.
Duquesne Light implemented Universal Service Programs to improve affordability for low-income customers. The programs include the Customer Assistance Program (CAP), which provides reduced payments and arrearage forgiveness; Smart Comfort, which provides energy efficiency and energy education services; CARES, which provides outreach and referral services; and the Hardship Fund, which provides emergency assistance. APPRISE conducted an evaluation of the performance of these programs and the integration among the different programs. The research included interviews with program and agency staff, a participant survey, and analysis of the impacts of the program on affordability and payment compliance. Download Here.
FirstEnergy implemented Universal Service Programs to help low-income customers maintain electric service and protect customers’ health and safety. The programs include the CAP Program, which provides reduced payments and arrearage forgiveness; LIURP/WARM, which provides energy efficiency and energy education services; CARES, which provides outreach and referral services; the Hardship Fund, which provides emergency assistance; and Gatekeeper, where field personnel recognize and report customers who may be in distress. APPRISE conducted an evaluation of the performance of these programs, their ability to help low-income customers maintain affordable service, and the integration among the different programs. This evaluation included analysis of program databases, interviews with FirstEnergy managers and staff, interviews with staff at organizations that implement the programs; and analysis of the impact of CAP on bills, customer payments, and affordability. Download Here.
The Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) has designed the Percent of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) pilot to help low-income households maintain energy service throughout the year and reduce the health and safety risks associated with energy service disruption. The PIPP program offered LIHEAP recipients arrearage forgiveness and a fixed payment plan in the place of a one-time LIHEAP grant. APPRISE conducted an impact evaluation of this program that assessed whether the program was implemented effectively and whether the program achieved its intended effect on clients. Download Here.
Louisville Gas and Electric Company and Kentucky Utilities Company offer a Home Energy Assistance (HEA) Program to assist the poorest households in their service territories least able to afford to pay their energy bills. Funded by ratepayers and shareholders, the programs (structured differently by company) provide fixed monthly credits to LIHEAP participants. APPRISE conducted a comprehensive HEA assessment to analyze the program management, availability, and customer participation; assess impacts on payments, arrearages, collections actions, and weatherization participation; and make recommendations for program improvement. Download Here.
PECO Energy implemented a set of Universal Services Programs to meet requirements set by Pennsylvania’s electric and gas restructuring legislation and various Public Utility Commission orders and agreements. The Bureau of Consumer Services (BCS) of the Public Utility Commission (PUC) requires that PECO evaluate its Universal Service Programs, and developed standard evaluation questions to guide Universal Services Programs evaluations. APPRISE developed a report to answer the PUC questions and analyze all of PECO’s Universal Services Programs. The PUC also directed PECO to separately address how their Customer Assistance Program (CAP) served customers with income below 50 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). To better meet the needs of this population, PECO implemented three new electric CAP rates in February 2004. This report provides an analysis of the need for the new CAP rates, customer understanding of the CAP, customer perception of the impact of the CAP, and the actual impact of the CAP on bill affordability and customer bill payment. Download Here.
PECO has implemented a set of Universal Services Programs to meet requirements set by Pennsylvania’s electric and gas restructuring legislation and various Public Utility Commission orders and agreements. The Universal Services Programs include a CAP payment assistance program, a LIURP usage reduction program, a CARES assistance program, and a hardship fund. This report presents the findings from the 2004-2006 evaluation of PECO’s Universal Service Programs. This report examines the design and implementation of these programs, as well as the impact of these programs on affordability, customer payment behavior, utility collections costs, and energy usage. Download Here.
PECO implemented Universal Service Programs to help low-income customers maintain energy services and protect customers’ health and safety. The programs include CAP which provides reduced payments and arrearage forgiveness, LIURP which provides energy efficiency and energy education services, CARES which provides outreach and referral services, and MEAP which provides emergency financial assistance for overdue energy bills. The 2012 evaluation included review of program procedures and implementation; customer needs assessment; interviews with program managers and implementation partners; customer surveys; and an analysis of the impact of the program on energy affordability, bill payment, collections, and energy usage. Download Here.
APPRISE conducted an evaluation of Peoples Natural Gas Universal Service Programs. Peoples’ Universal Service Programs provide reduced natural gas bills, arrearage forgiveness, emergency bill payment assistance, energy efficiency services, and case management services to low-income households. The evaluation assessed the efficiency and effectiveness of these programs through background research, needs assessment research, program administrator interviews, customer surveys, program database analysis, and analysis of the impacts of the program on affordability, bill payment, and collections actions and costs. Download Here.
APPRISE conducted an evaluation of Pepco’s Arrearage Management Pilot Program. This program provides arrearage forgiveness to low-income residential customers with arrearages of $300 or more. The evaluation research assessed program implementation, the characteristics of customers who enrolled in the program, and the impact of the program on arrearages, bill payment, and collections actions and collections costs. The research included a participant survey and analysis of program, billing, payment, arrearage, and collections data. Download Here.
This report presents findings from the 2005 evaluation of the PG Energy Partners Program (PGEPP). PGEPP provides eligible low-income residential customers with a monthly bill equal to a percentage of income and monthly arrearage forgiveness when bills are paid on time. The report highlights key findings from an analysis of customer data relating to program retention, payments, arrearage forgiveness, write-offs, recertification, collections activities, and usage. It also presents information from a survey of current and past PGEPP participants and non-participants on topics including factors affecting enrollment decisions, the perceived value of program benefits, and customers’ general satisfaction. Download Here.
This report presents findings and recommendations from the process and impact evaluation of the Philadelphia Gas Works (PGW) Customer Responsibility Program (CRP). PGW’s CRP assists eligible low-income residential customers to pay their gas bills. Customers receive a monthly payment that relates to a percentage of annual income, as well as arrearage forgiveness when bills are paid on time and in full. This report summarizes the results from manager and staff interviews, district office observations, customer interviews, data analysis, and financial analysis. Concluding sections of the report provide payment program design options and recommendations for modifications to program administration and procedures. Download Here.
PGW’s Customer Responsibility Program provides low-income PGW customers with a reduced bill to increase energy affordability. Their other Universal Service Programs provide energy efficiency services, case management services, and emergency bill payment assistance. The 2012 evaluation included interviews with program managers and staff, needs assessment, an eligible population assessment, interviews with current and past participants, and analysis of customer billing, payment, and collections data. Download Here.
UGI Utilities, Inc. has implemented a set of Universal Service Programs to assist low-income customers and to meet requirements set by Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission orders and agreements. The Customer Assistance Program (CAP) provides a more affordable gas bill for eligible low-income, payment-troubled residential customers. The Low-Income Usage Reduction Program reduces the energy consumption of low-income customers by installing energy conservation measures and providing energy conservation education. The Operation Share Energy Fund provides assistance to residential customers who face a hardship in paying their energy bill. The Customer Assistance Referral and Evaluation Services Program provides assistance and referrals to payment-troubled customers to help improve their bill payment problems. APPRISE conducted a process and impact evaluation of these programs to assess their performance and impact. The research included manager and staff interviews, CAP agency interviews, customer surveys, and analysis of program, billing, and payment data. This report describes the research that was conducted, the findings from that research, and recommendations for modifications to improve the programs. Download Here.