Washington State LowIncome Energy Needs Research 2007 Washington

Washington State Low-Income Energy Needs Research 2007 Washington State Energy Assistance Coordinators Conference October 2, 2007 Jacqueline Berger, APPRISE

Study Goals 1. 2. 3. 4. WA energy needs by utility WA energy programs and energy prices Updateable spreadsheet Program recommendations 2

Presentation Overview 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. State Profile WA Utilities Detailed WA Analysis Bill Payment Assistance Programs Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs Energy Prices Data Summary Conclusion 3

Washington Profile 4

Data Source • 2005 American Community Survey (ACS) • 2006 Data were released in September 2007 • Areas with 65, 000 or more available in ACS • Estimates shown for utilities with more than 15, 000 customers 5

WA 2005 Profile • • • Population: 6. 1 million Households: 2. 5 million Median income: $49, 262 Homeowners: 1. 6 million Median housing burden: 22% Median rental burden: 28% 6

WA Low-Income Households Poverty Group Income ≤ 125% 126% - 150% Income > 150% ALL HOUSEHOLDS Number of Percent of Households 353, 335 14% 98, 927 4% 2, 000, 283 82% 2, 452, 545 100% 7

Low-Income Energy Burden>10% Poverty Group Burden>5% # % Income ≤ 125% 251, 636 72% 158, 004 46% 126% - 150% 51, 371 52% 14, 705 15% 8

WA Energy Assistance 2005 Funding (Millions) LIHEAP $41. 6 LIHEAP – Electric and Gas Assistance $36. 6 IOU Energy Affordability Programs $12. 9 Total Electric and Gas Assistance $49. 5 9

Low-Income Energy Gap Aggregate Low. Poverty Group Income Energy Bill Energy Gap Energy % of Gap Assistance Met by Assistance Income ≤ 125% Income ≤ 150% ($Millions) 5% Need Standard $360 $217 $472 $257 $49. 5 23% 19% Income ≤ 125% Income ≤ 150% 15% Need Standard $360 $96 $49. 5 $472 $99 $49. 5 52% 50% 10

Low-Income Energy Usage # With High Bills <125% # With High Bills <150% Electric Baseload 62, 003 82, 628 Electric Heating 84, 406 111, 772 Gas Heating 6, 397 9, 317 11

Low-Income Energy Efficiency Programs 2005 Households Funding Served (millions) (Estimate) DOE WAP $4. 6 1, 840 LIHEAP $5. 7 2, 280 Energy Matchmaker $5. 5 2, 200 TOTAL $15. 8 6, 320 12

Other Indicators of Need 2005 WA NEADA Survey • 188 LIHEAP Recipients • 38% went without food for at least one day • 36% went without medical or dental care • 35% didn’t fill a prescription or took less than a full dose • 32% reported that someone became sick because the home was too cold 13

Other Indicators of Need 2005 WA NEADA Survey • 81% reduced expenses for necessities • 47% received shutoff notices • 35% kept home at a temperature they felt was unsafe • 27% used their kitchen stove for heat 14

Other Indicators of Need 2005 WA NEADA Survey • 15% had their electric service shut off • 37% could not use their main source of heat • 19% could not use their air conditioner 15

Washington Utilities 16

WA Utilities Electric Investor Owned Gas Investor Owned 17

WA Electric Utilities 18

WA Electric Utilities 19

WA Electric Utilities 20

WA Electric Utilities Utility Type # Utilities # Customers % Customers Investor-Owned 3 1, 360, 000 45% PUD 21 1, 031, 797 34% Municipal 15 444, 751 15% Cooperative 17 163, 618 5% 21

WA Electric Utilities Utility Type Investor-Owned Number of Customers Mean Largest Smallest 453, 333 1, 040, 000 124, 000 PUD 49, 133 300, 176 3, 000 Municipal 29, 650 375, 869 418 9, 625 35, 000 271 Cooperative 22

WA Gas Utilities Utility Type # Utilities # Customers % Customers Investor-Owned 4 1, 264, 558 99% Municipal 2 10, 000 <1% 23

Detailed WA Analysis 24

Program Eligibility 25

Program Eligibility 26

Program Eligibility 200 300 400 700 Island, San Juan, Skagit Chelan, Douglas, Kittitas, Okanogan Adams, Ferry, Grant, Lincoln, Pend Oreile, Stevens Asotin, Columbia, Garfield, Walla Wall, Whitman 800 Benton, Franklin 1100 Cowlitz, Klickitat, Skamania, Wahkiakum 1500 Grays Harbor, Lewis, Pacific 1600 Clallam, Jefferson, Mason 27

Heating Fuel 28

Heating Fuel 29

Heating Fuel 30

Electric and Gas Burden 31

Electric and Gas Burden Percent of Low-Income Households With Energy Burden Greater than 5% and 10% Public Utilities 32

Electric and Gas Burden 33

High Energy Use 34

Vulnerable Households 35

Vulnerable Households 36

Single Parent Households 37

Single Parent Households 38

Foreign Language Households 39

Foreign Language Households 40

Foreign Language Households 41

Utility Low-Income Programs 42

WA Low-Income Programs • No statewide Universal Service Program • No comprehensive package of utilityfunded programs • WUTC can approve a low-income program • WUTC cannot direct a utility to create a low-income program 43

WA Bill Assistance Investor-Owned Utility Programs Low-Income Annual Credit Discount Funding Avista Yes No $3, 200, 000 Cascade Natural Gas Yes No $900, 000 Northwest Natural Gas No No $0 Pacific Power No Yes $300, 000 Puget Sound Yes No $8, 500, 000 TOTAL $12, 900, 000 $ Per WA Low-Income HH $36. 51 44

WA Bill Assistance Comparison to Other State Affordability Funding Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 12 12 State NJ PA OH CA NH DC MI NV IL MD MA ME RI WA Funds per Low-Income Household $181 $155 $154 $141 $102 $69 $57 $56 $53 $50 $48 $37 $37 45

WA Bill Assistance Avista Low-Income Rate Assistance Program (LIRAP) • Approved in 2001 • $3. 2 million annual funding • Fixed annual credit • ~7, 000 households served in 2006 • Eligibility: 125% of poverty, 175% for elderly 46

WA Bill Assistance Avista Low-Income Rate Assistance Program (LIRAP) • $300 grant for seniors • Low-income customer lump-sum payment similar to LIHEAP – max of $750 • Emergency assistance – max of $300 • Mean 2006 heat benefit: $410 • Mean 2006 Emergency benefit: $248 • Mean 2006 Senior benefit: $256 47

WA Bill Assistance Cascade Natural Gas • 2006 Rate Case agreement • ~$900, 000 in funding in 2006 • Fixed annual credit • Eligibility level – 150% of poverty • Distributed by LIHEAP agencies 48

WA Bill Assistance Pacific Power and Light Low-Income Bill Assistance Program (LIBA) • Approved in 2001 • $300, 000 annual funding • Per k. Wh discount – 3 different levels depending on household poverty level • 2006 participation capped at 2, 618 • Eligibility: 125% of poverty 49

WA Bill Assistance • • Puget Sound Energy – HELP $8. 5 million annual funding Fixed annual credit ~18, 000 served in 2006 Eligibility – 150% of poverty Maximum benefit of $750 Mean 2006 electric benefit: $344 Mean 2006 gas benefit: $442 50

WA Bill Assistance 51

WA Bill Assistance PUDs Bill Assistance Programs • 14 of 21 PUDs offer discount programs • 3 offer general low-income discount programs • 9 offer only senior/disabled discount • 2 offer only senior discount 52

WA Bill Assistance PUDs Bill Assistance Programs • Maximum discount ranges from 15% 60% • Maximum discount ranges from $100 to $300 • 17 also offer Hardship Funds 53

WA Bill Assistance Electric Municipal and Cooperatives Bill Payment Assistance Programs 54

WA Bill Assistance Municipal Electric Bill Discount Programs • 8 of 16 municipal electric utilities offer bill discount programs • 7 restricted to elderly or disabled lowincome • 1 restricted to elderly low-income • 3 have Hardship Funds 55

WA Bill Assistance Cooperative Electric Bill Discount Programs • 3 of 17 cooperatives offer bill discount programs • 2 restricted to elderly or disabled lowincome • 1 restricted to elderly low-income • 6 have Hardship Funds 56

WA Bill Assistance Percent of Low-Income Customers In Service Area With Bill Assistance Electric 74% Gas 76% 57

WA Efficiency Programs Energy Matchmaker Program • Funded at $5. 5 million in 2005 • Began in 1987 • State funds matched by utilities and other sources 58

WA Efficiency Funding Comparison to Other State Efficiency Funding Rank 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 State Wisconsin Massachusetts California Pennsylvania New Jersey Oregon Washington New York Michigan Ohio Efficiency Funding Per Low-Income Household $104. 99 $31. 69 $25. 01 $24. 77 $23. 46 $20. 90 $15. 37 $10. 99 $10. 00 $9. 08 59

Utility Prices 60

Electric Prices 61

WA Electric Prices Electric Price Variability 400 k. Wh 800 k. Wh 1200 k. Wh Lowest Price 2. 29¢ $9. 16 $18. 32 $27. 48 Highest Price 7. 86¢ $31. 44 $62. 88 $94. 32 Average Price 5. 96¢ $23. 84 $47. 68 $71. 52 62

Gas Prices 63

Data Summary 64

Summary Electric Burden <125% Heat > 5% WA Chelan Clark 14% 21% 12% 78% 73% 71% 67% 83% High Baseload Use High Electric Heat Use 68% 100% 62% 38% 88% 21% Single Non. LI k. Wh Vulnerable Family English Spanish Program Price WA Chelan Clark 67% 74% 23% 21% 22% 24% 23% 21% 13% 21% 7% Yes No Yes 6. 50¢ 2. 97¢ 7. 86¢ 65

Summary • Diverse electric supply • No statewide program • Limited ratepayer funded affordability programs • Moderatepayer funded efficiency programs • Variability in electric prices • Diverse need for affordability and efficiency 66