More than 178,000 CPS Energy customers are behind on bills. Now, there's more funding to help them through a San Antonio-county-utility program.
CPS Energy’s nonprofit arm is tripling its bill-pay assistance for customers to $1,200 per year. In addition to increasing the maximum amount of aid available to recipients from $400, the city-owned utility’s Residential Energy Assistance Program is expanding eligibility to make it available to more of its struggling customers. The expansion, which comes as CPS is struggling to reduce past-due accounts that began piling up during the pandemic, comes at a $6 million cost to the utility.
Energy working to cut past-due bills, but 73,000 still at risk of having power shut off “The expansion strengthens our community’s safety net by ensuring that more CPS Energy customers have access to assistance with their utility bills,” Mayor Ron Nirenberg said in a statement. “ helps customers in unstable economic situations make ends meet, easing financial pressures and reducing the risk of crisis. These clearly merited changes will boost the entire community.
Future San Antonio budget windfalls could hold down CPS rate hikes “Bexar County proposed changes to expand access to utility assistance,” said Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai. “I want to thank CPS Energy and the City of San Antonio for collaborating to make this happen. We will work to ensure our most vulnerable neighbors take advantage of this program.” The residential aid program, often referred to by its acronym “REAP,” was launched in 2002.
A year in CPS bills: Monthly average down from 2022, but trend’s likely to change with rate hike. Customers in the discount program can also apply for the assistance program. The assistance program allows customers to apply for funds twice a year. Applicants who are approved for aid will get credit on their bills as well as information on weatherizing or making their home more energy efficient to save on utility bills.
Future San Antonio Peter Sakai Ron Nirenberg Rudy Garza Bexar County San Antonio City REAP Residential Energy Assistance Program
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