Full-court press by officials on utility services

Local legislators throw support behind Home Energy Rate Affordability Act

PROVIDENCE — With joint legislation seeking to create a percentage income payment plan that would ensure utility service is affordable for low-income households held in House and Senate committees for further study, state legislators from both chambers were joined by representatives from Pawtucket’s George Wiley Center last week to address the importance of the bills.

The legislation was recommended to be held for further study in both the House and the Senate, and members of the General Assembly who sponsored their respective bills held a press conference last Thursday evening at the State House to advocate for the passage of what is known as the Home Energy Rate Affordability Act.

“Right now, Rhode Islanders living under the federal poverty line on average spend 44 percent of their income on utilities and this puts incredible strain on their ability to pay for housing and food,” District 16 state Sen. Elizabeth A. Crowley said. “These are basic necessities in life, especially for households with children. We cannot turn our backs on these vulnerable residents and their families and that is why this legislation is necessary.”

The act would create a Percentage of Income Payment Plan, or PIPP, that would allow low-income households to pay a fixed percentage of their income for utility bills, officials said. The percentage depends on the federal poverty level of that household and the program would be eligible to households that are at or below 150 percent federal poverty level who are enrolled in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Joining the elected officials on Thursday were representatives from Pawtucket’s George Wiley Center, a statewide group that is actively committed to local community organizing for the purpose of creating social and economic justice through changes in public policy, according to the mission statement on its website.

Camilo Vivieros, coordina- tor and executive director with the George Wiley Center, said for 20 years, Rhode Island has not had a fair payment plan structure for low-income residents, people living on fixed incomes, senior citizens, or the disabled community.

“We have this program in place that could pay a reasonable, fair utility bill based on income and not adversely impact other consumers or National Grid,” Vivieros said. “It would be a win-win for them, consumers, and taxpayers.”

At the Wiley Center, Vivieros said, they talk to people who are shut off from utilities but want to pay their bills. However, he said, the numbers “just simply don’t add up.”

“People’s budgets are not increasing, they’re not getting raises, their income side isn’t increasing and meanwhile we’re seeing more utility rate hikes,” he said. “This is a sound solution that’s been tested. We’re not just floating something we don’t think has been tried and tested and proven to work here in Rhode Island and other states.”

Vivieros, on Saturday, emailed to The Times 20 pages of testimonials from people from across the state who support the Percentage Income Payment Plan. Among the testimonials was one from Cumberland resident Robyn Federici, who expressed fear about having electricity cut off.

“I work for a non-profit organization, which means my salary is very low. I live on the third floor in Cumberland. I heat with electric. My highest electric bill was $300 a month during the winter. In the summer, it is $250. I have lived at this address for three years and manage to pay the bill every month,” Federici said. “I had to take a pay cut with my job and I know this winter, I will be in danger of having it shut off. I began telling this story by saying I work in a non-profit because I wanted to continue helping out the less fortunate, but I am not sure if I can do that with an electric increase.”

Arlene Delgado of Woonsocket said she was shut off for about a month and it “dramatically affected my dayto-day life as a single mother and living paycheck-to-paycheck.”

“I’ve had to make miracles happen in order to maintain a good quality of life for my children whom are my priority,” Delgado said.

Debbie Octeau of Pawtucket, meanwhile, said when her daughter was young, her husband was ill and was in the hospital for a month. He lost income, they applied for welfare, and now she says they’re in the same situation and living on her husband’s retirement.

“I believe there are a lot of Americans unable to afford heat,” Octeau said, adding of the legislation: “This is crucial to those who can’t afford the necessity of heat or electric.”

Vivieros said the policy is “pretty common sense” and would be similar to a “fair payment structure” that exists across the country in states such as New Jersey, Ohio, and Nevada.

“It’s a bipartisan approach, it’s not controversial, it doesn’t even chip away at the profit of National Grid,” he said. “It’s just trying to protect consumers and allow consumers to instead have a bill they could actually pay.”

The legislation was introduced in the Senate on Feb. 15 and referred to the Senate Commerce Committee, where it was recommended to be held for further study on March 8. It was introduced in the House on Feb. 28 and referred to the Finance Committee, where it was also recommended to be held for further study on May 9.