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Program Goals

Help Low-income households maintain their electric service by making monthly payments more affordable.

Promote good bill payment habits

Help customers eliminate past due bills                                

Provide energy education and conservation tips

Lower customer's actual electric usage

The program consists of techniques and methods for reducing the amount of energy needed for home heating. Clients also receive energy education training to explain methods for additional reductions to home energy costs.

The positive effects of efficient home energy usage are lower consumer cost and therefore increased disposable income which promotes an improved quality of life in homes with limited financial resources.

BCCAA weatherization and energy services is comprised of three separate residential weatherization programs. Each program has specific criteria which are used to determine client eligibility.

 

BCCAA operates a weatherization program for low-income families in Blair County.
Funded by the U.S. Department of energy and the low-income home energy assistance program.
Family income is the qualifying factor for eligibility.

Targeted towards clients of the Peoples Natural Gas Company.
The program permits the installation of a broad range of residential weatherization measures.
Requires a referral from the Peoples Natural Gas Company.

A weatherization program for customers living in all electric homes or customers with electric hot water tanks.
The program requires a referral from First Energy.

Energy education is provided to clients of each of the three BCCAA weatherization programs.
Research has found that energy education results in both savings in cost and energy consumption for the consumer.
Energy education reduces waste.
Energy education helps to provide a more comfortable home and an improved quality of life for the client.

 

The Customer Assistance Program (CAP) is First Energy's bill payment assistance program. The program is mandated by the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission. CAP is designed to make electric more affordable for low-income families. There are three primary components to the program.

The first component of CAP is the bill subsidy. CAP offers a bill that is based on a percentage of the customer's monthly gross household income instead of their actual usage. First Energy subsidizes 9pays) the difference between the customer's actual usage and their cap payment. The underlying philosophy is that in lower income households a greater percentage of the household income goes towards paying for utilities. Generally, in a CAP household no more than 16% of the income will go to pay their electric bill. If a customer's actual usage is less than their CAP Payment then the customer will pay the actual usage.

The second component is the debt forgiveness. If a customer has a past due bill when enrolled into CAP, the outstanding bill will slowly be "forgiven" by First Energy. The company applies forgiveness on a monthly basis to a customer's account as long as they make their monthly CAP Payment.

The third component is participation in First Energy's free weatherization services, referred to as the WARM program. When a customer applies for CAP they must also complete a WARM application. The company will review the application and determine if the customer would benefit from the WARM services. Both home owners and renters are required to participate in WARM; Failure to do so is grounds for dismissal of the cap program.

Note: if the landlord of a building refuses to participate then the tenant can still remain on the CAP program.