Austin Energy on track on its goals for assisting low-income customers

A year and a half into Austin Energy’s campaign to expand its Customer Assistance Program, the utility says it’s on track to enroll 90 percent of eligible ratepayers by June of next year.

The enrollment target dates back to December 2022, when Council asked the utility to tackle its underwhelming 37.5 percent participation rate among qualifying customers. Since ramping up outreach and pivoting to new automatic enrollment methods, that number has swelled to 63,732 participants, or approximately 71 percent of eligible low-income customers.

Austin Energy defines low income as at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line, equating to around $62,000 per year for a family of four. Once enrolled, participants see a 10 percent to 15 percent discount on their monthly bill, totaling an average of $76 to $91 in monthly savings.

CAP has seen a spike in participants since partnering with state assistance programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), whose rosters are automatically enrolled on an opt-out basis. Next, Austin Energy hopes to expand its reach through continued discussions with the Austin Independent School District, whose reduced and free lunch programs could provide another pool of eligible customers.

“We are working closely with Austin Independent School District, and their leadership is very much involved, but currently they want to divide things into two or three stages before moving forward with automatic enrollment,” said Kerry Overton, deputy general manager and chief customer officer. “I think they’re still working internally through what they believe to be data sharing and cybersecurity issues. I think as they get more comfortable with their security team that we can make more headway there.”

The CAP program also provides services to those outside the 200 percent poverty line, including weatherization rebates and incentives for energy efficiency measures like home insulation, LED lighting and smart thermostats that both conserve energy and provide long-term savings on utility bills. Customers facing unexpected financial challenges can also participate in the utility’s Financial Support Plus One program, which coordinates with nonprofit partners to work out payment plans and bill relief.

Those interested in taking advantage of Austin Energy programming can check out a number of upcoming pop-ups at Utility Customer Service Centers, which will offer demonstrations and giveaways of devices like solar power banks that help keep mobile phones and other devices charged in the event of power outages. Check out the full details here.

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