APPRISE Bill Payment Assistance Program Research and Evaluation
Ameren’s Keeping Current Program provides monthly bill credits and arrearage reduction for customers who continue to make monthly bill payments. Their Keeping Cooling Program provides bill credits in the summer months to offset the costs of air conditioning usage. APPRISE has conducted four process and impact evaluations of the program. These evaluations assessed program design, implementation, participation, retention, and impacts, and made recommendations for program improvements.
In 2020, APPRISE conducted a program design study to assess alternative bill payment designs and make recommendations for refinement or redesign of Ameren’s program. This study assessed program goals, explored options for program parameters, analyzed the outcomes of various program designs, reviewed best practices, and provided recommendations for changes to Ameren’s program.
Ameren’s Keeping Current Program provides electric bill payment assistance and arrearage forgiveness to low-income customers. APPRISE conducted four evaluations of the Keeping Current Program that included surveys, in-depth interviews, analyses of program benefits delivered, and analysis of the program’s impact on affordability, bill payment, and collections actions. The reports and presentations are available for download here.
The Public Service Commission of Maryland (PSC) authorized BGE to develop a one-year Prepaid Pilot Program with electric-only and dual-service customers to test the feasibility and customer acceptance of a utility prepay service program. This program provides customers with the opportunity to pay for their energy in advance of use and make additional energy payments as needed. APPRISE conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the program to assess how the pilot impacted energy usage, energy costs, payment compliance, collections actions and costs, and disconnections. The research found that the pilot had several benefits for participants. Participants reported that it improved their control over energy expenses, helped them to pay off arrearages, avoid or reduce the length of their disconnections, and reduce their energy usage. A weather-normalized, comparison group adjusted billing analysis found that participants reduced their energy usage and improved their energy payments. However, it was difficult to draw conclusions about collections and disconnections because the pilot was during the COVID-19 Pandemic when disconnections were suspended.
The California Investor-Owned Utilities (IOUs) have introduced a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) Pilot aimed to reduce the number of low-income households at risk of disconnection. The Pilot will limit energy bills to approximately four percent of a household’s income. APPRISE is conducting a comprehensive evaluation to assess the impact of the Pilot on payment behavior, disconnections, energy usage, and access to essential services. The research will include interviews with IOUs and Community-Based Organizations; surveys with participating customers; and analysis of customer bills, payments, usage, and collections actions using a matched comparison group. The evaluation will recommend whether the Pilot should be implemented with modifications based on the findings from the comprehensive study.
The Federal Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) Program provides funding to alleviate the causes and conditions of poverty in communities through services that address employment, income management, education, housing, nutrition, and health. APPRISE is working with the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Division of Community Assistance to develop a Performance Management Website and Data Warehouse that facilitates the analysis of performance measurement data reported by grantees of the CSBG Program. APPRISE is also providing training and technical assistance to the Division of Community Assistance, grantees, and other partners of the CSBG Program in the use of these performance management resources.
The 2005 Residential Energy Consumption Survey (RECS) is a national survey that collected energy-related data for occupied housing units and households. The Office of Community Services (OCS) in the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) funded a special set of questions for low-income households responding to the 2005 RECS. Those questions collected information on residential and home energy-related problems faced by low-income households and measured the extent to which households reported that participation in LIHEAP helped to ameliorate those problems. APPRISE conducted an exploratory analysis of the 2005 RECS data for OCS to develop a better understanding of the performance of the survey questions and to develop new information on the Energy Insecurity of low-income households, including:
- Levels and Types of Energy Insecurity – Estimation of the rate at which low-income households face various types of energy problems and examination of survey respondent reports on the extent to which energy assistance restores home heating and cooling for households experiencing service interruptions.
- Factors Related to Energy Insecurity – An analysis of the factors associated with energy problems including poverty level, energy burden, geographic region and other demographic and housing factors.
- Performance of the Home Energy Insecurity Scale – An assessment of the performance of the Home Energy Insecurity Scale in measuring the impacts of energy costs on low-income households compared to other Energy Insecurity measures used in the past.
APPRISE reviewed DOEE’s LIHEAP design and made recommendations for program modifications in 2018. This study assessed DOEE’s LIHEAP procedures, analyzed the population of households eligible for energy assistance, and calculated the impacts of the assistance on participants’ energy burden. The study furnished DOEE with information needed to modify its program benefits design matrix in a way that meets the statutory guidance furnished to DOEE by the federal LIHEAP program. As a result of the 2018 study, DOEE modified its LIHEAP program benefits design matrix. In 2020, APPRISE worked with DOEE to calculate the impact of those changes on participants’ energy burden, update analyses of households eligible for energy assistance, and assess how best to integrate DOEE’s Solar for All program with the LIHEAP program.
APPRISE conducted research for the District of Columbia’s Office of the People’s Counsel to assess energy affordability for residential consumers. The analysis explored the energy affordability needs of different types of residential consumers, examined how utility initiatives impacted their energy burden, and characterized the design and implementation of energy affordability programs implemented in other states. Based on the research conducted APPRISE made recommendations on how to improve energy affordability programs offered to residential consumers in the District.
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) contracted with APPRISE to conduct research and provide recommendations on how they could improve the application and eligibility determination process for their Energy Assistance Program (EAP). APPRISE undertook an analysis of IHCDA’s current policy, identified EAP pain points and barriers, conducted research on other states’ LIHEAP administration, and developed policy and procedures recommendations for IHCDA. The proposed changes include shorter- and longer-term revisions to policy that will reduce client burden, improve program integrity, and result in larger reductions in participant energy burden.
APPRISE was contracted to furnish technical support to the Division of Energy Assistance in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services. As part of this support, APPRISE is assisting in the development of performance measurement procedures. APPRISE also developed annual State-level targeting performance data that assess the extent to which States targeted energy assistance to low-income and vulnerable households.
APPRISE was contracted by the Division of Energy Assistance in the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Community Services, to develop a web-based Data Warehouse for LIHEAP. APPRISE worked with ACF staff, state LIHEAP grantees, and stakeholders to design, test, and build a Data Warehouse tool to organize data, create reports, and facilitate analysis for performance management and improvement.
APPRISE conducted a comprehensive review of the Massachusetts LIHEAP program’s benefit determination procedures. The study included evaluations of program goals and procedures, assessments of energy burden outcomes among LIHEAP recipients using energy bill data collected for the LIHEAP Performance Measures, and engagement with the program’s stakeholders to determine the next steps in developing updated benefit determination procedures to improve client outcomes.
The New Jersey Statewide Heating Assistance and Referral for Energy Services (NJ SHARES) is a nonprofit corporation organized to provide assistance to individuals and families living in New Jersey who are in need of temporary help paying their energy bills. APPRISE conducted an annual impact evaluation of the New Jersey SHARES program from 2006 through 2019. The evaluations included analysis of administrative and utility data to assess the program’s impact on maintenance of electric and gas service and on energy bill payment. Some of the evaluations also included surveys and in-depth participant interviews to assess whether the crises had been resolved, what additional assistance was needed, and the interest and potential for energy efficiency program participation.
APPRISE is conducting a study for NYSERDA to document demographic and energy-related characteristics of the low-income population in New York State, estimate the impact of existing programs that target low-income households, and provide recommendations for improving New York’s Energy Affordability Policy (EAP). This study will use Census data to examine the demographic characteristics, income distribution, energy burden, and geographic distribution of low-income households in New York. It will also leverage program data to assess the impact of energy assistance and other program initiatives. This study will help inform NYSERDA and the New York State Public Service Commission to assess programmatic and policy changes to the EAP.
APPRISE conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the energy assistance programs managed by the Oregon Housing and Community Service Department. Research objectives included assessment of impact, marketing, outreach, and accessibility of LIHEAP and ratepayer-funded energy assistance programs; and evaluation of the effectiveness of program delivery models. As part of this evaluation, APPRISE conducted organizational research, a market assessment study, a participant survey, in-depth interviews, and a quantitative impact assessment. In addition, APPRISE implemented a community-based participatory research approach to engage local and state community organizations as research partners. Community research partners provided input and assisted in outreach and data collection efforts with members of underserved populations.
PECO implemented Universal Service Programs to help low-income customers maintain energy services and protect customers’ health and safety. The programs include CAP which provides reduced payments and arrearage forgiveness, LIURP which provides energy efficiency and energy education services, CARES which provides outreach and referral services, and MEAP which provides emergency financial assistance for overdue energy bills. The 2019 evaluation conducted by APPRISE included a review of program procedures and implementation; customer needs assessment; interviews with program managers and implementation partners; customer surveys; and an analysis of the impact of the program on energy affordability, bill payment, collections, and energy usage.
APPRISE conducted an evaluation of Pepco’s Arrearage Management Pilot Program. This program provides arrearage forgiveness to low-income residential customers with arrearages of $300 or more. The evaluation research assessed program implementation, the characteristics of customers who enrolled in the program, and the impact of the program on arrearages, bill payment, and collections actions and collections costs. The research included a participant survey and analysis of program, billing, payment, arrearage, and collections data.
APPRISE conducted Process and Impact Evaluations of PPL Electric Utilities’ (PPL) Universal Services Programs in 2008, 2014 and 2020. The Universal Service Programs provide bill payment assistance and energy efficiency services to PPL’s low-income customers. The 2020 evaluation included a needs assessment, interviews with program managers and staff, interviews with service delivery agencies, surveys with participating customers, and analysis of the impact of the programs on energy affordability and bill payment practices.
UGI has Universal Services programs to help low-income customers maintain affordable energy services. APPRISE conducted evaluations of these programs in 2012 and 2024. The focus of the evaluations were UGI’s Customer Assistance Program (CAP), that provides reduced energy bills to improve affordability for low-income customers. APPRISE’s research included an assessment of the program design; review of the program costs and implementation; participant and nonparticipant feedback; and analysis of the impacts of the program on bill payment, arrearages, and collections costs.