‘Energy burden’

Often, low-income households have a higher energy burden — meaning they pay a higher percentage of their income toward energy costs compared to higher-income households.

They often live in less efficient housing and pay more per square foot on energy costs, according to a 2016 American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy report focused on utility costs in low-income communities.

The same report found a particularly high energy burden for low-income families in Pittsburgh, especially African-American families.

“This is really a big problem in Pittsburgh,” said Jeaneen Zappa, executive director at South Side-based CCI, which is aimed at helping families create healthier homes and “get energy smarter.”

“The overwhelming energy burden that low-income households face makes it extraordinarily difficult for them to pay for all of life’s necessities, including energy and utility costs, housing, food and medicine,” said Patrick Cicero, director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, a statewide organization that helps low-income utility consumers. “The assistance programs that utilities provide help mitigate this burden. But households even within these assistance programs pay far more than they can often afford to pay for home energy.”

The average annual income for Pennsylvanians participating in utility assistance programs, known as universal service programs, was $16,535 for electric customers and $15,750 for natural gas customers in 2016, according to data from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission.

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Seeking help with bills

economist who specializes in utility needs of low-income households.

East Liberty resident Mary Jonson fell behind in paying her electric bill last year, and was facing termination of her service.

“I was going through a financial crisis,” and she was behind by hundreds of dollars, she said.

“It was very stressful. I thought I would lose my Section 8 [housing assistance]. I felt alone and depressed,” she said.

Attorneys at the Neighborhood Legal Services Association were able to negotiate a 30-day extension for her to get current and stop the termination.

There are a number of energy assistance programs to help people who have a hard time paying their gas and electric bills, both government-run and operated by utility companies, though they can be confusing for consumers and can have restrictions on what funding can be used for.

For instance, some programs can be used only to directly pay utility bills, but don’t address underlying inefficiencies or problems with a house. Other programs can be used only to address energy reduction, but not other issues that might need to be addressed in a home, such as a damp or moldy basement that should be fixed prior to adding insulation for energy savings.

Spokespeople Duquesne Light, Peoples Gas and Columbia Gas said they work with advocacy groups, social service providers and others in the community to let those in need know about their programs and sign them up for the assistance they qualify for.

“We are here to help,” said Ashlee Yingling, a Duquesne Light spokeswoman, a statement echoed by other utility companies.

The state’s Public Utility Commission is engaged in two interrelated reviews of energy-burden and energyaffordability issues and utility-run universal service programs, said Nils HagenFrederiksen, spokesman for the PUC.

The range of available programs can be a confusing alphabet soup of acronyms, from LIHEAP to LIURP to CAP to CARES to CRISIS.

“There’s many good things, but it is very complex. It is very difficult for a person who is trying to navigate through all this,” said Ms. Zappa.

“As far as getting help,