Struggling with electric and gas bills? Here's how you can help shape We Energies' energy affordability programs
We Energies customers can weigh in on the effectiveness of the utility's low income energy assistance programs and suggest alternatives during two input sessions on Wednesday.
The Wisconsin Public Service Commission will host meetings in Milwaukee from noon to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Finney Community Room of the Washington Park Branch of the Milwaukee Public Library, 2121 N. Sherman Blvd., and from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at Neighborhood House, 2819 W. Richardson Place. Customers also can attend virtually via Zoom.
We Energies provides electricity and natural gas service to 2.2 million customers primarily in southeast Wisconsin and the Appleton area.
Nearly 60,000 of the utility's Milwaukee customers qualify for existing low-income assistance programs.
What's on the agenda?
The PSC wants to hear first-hand perspectives from customers who struggle to afford their bills, learn how effective existing programs are and listen to ideas about alternatives, including a payment program that would limits bills to a percentage of household income.
The agenda includes a brief background explainer from PSC staff, a presentation on how a Percentage of Income Payment Program works, a period of open discussion and questions, a listening session and a discussion of next steps.
Joe Fontaine, the administrator of the PSC's Division of Digital Access, Consumer and Environmental Affairs, said PSC staff will use the input gathered at the sessions and through written comments to inform the discussions it is facilitating between the utilities and other parties on proposals for new low-income assistance programs and expansion or improvement of existing programs.
Listening sessions' roots go back to last year's rate increase requests
In a December decision that set 2023 utility rates for We Energies and its sister utility, Wisconsin Public Service Corp., the Public Service Commission directed the utilities to work with the Citizens Utility Board, commission staff and other groups to explore additional ways to help low-income customers afford their energy bills.
The initiative stemmed largely from the involvement of Walnut Way Conservation Corp., a community development organization in Milwaukee's Lindsey Heights neighborhood, that spearheaded discussions about the disproportionate impact the rate increases would have on low-income households.
Walnut Way was the leading advocate for a pilot percentage-of-income payment program which would cap a household's energy bill at or below 6% of its monthly income. Such programs have been implemented in other states and Minneapolis-based Xcel Energy has proposed a similar program for its customers in western Wisconsin.
More:Should utility bills be based on ability to pay? It's under consideration in Wisconsin.
This is only the start of the process
Antonio Butts, Walnut Way's executive director, said the input sessions will set the stage for future talks to flesh out the specifics of a proposal can be presented for PSC consideration by the end of the year.
"There's there's this this sculpting that has to be done in terms of what are the components of a program that meets the needs of those 55,000 folks who are already eligible for alternative payment program," Butts said.
"But more but more specifically, it's getting into the discussion about the cost allocation for the expenses associated with operating the program. And if we can get the veil lifted, and be a part of the discussions and the decision making process around cost allocation — that big question about who pays for the program is the one that we all have to demystify and demonstrate that is done through a process of negotiation with all of the stakeholders."
Separately, the PSC also opened dockets to review We Energies' and WPS' Low-Income Forgiveness Tool, with an eye toward assessing enrollment, qualifications for participation and the $600 down payment the utilities require for restarting service that was cut off for non-payment.
WEC Energy Group spokesman Brendan Conway said more than 55,000 customers have taken advantage of the LIFT program since 2021. Customers on the program are three and-a-half times more likely to stay current on their pay plans than customers on regular pay agreements. He said the utility is interested in exploring an expansion of the program.
Conway said We Energies staff will be in attendance to participate and listen. He said customer service staff will also be on site to talk to customers about any questions they have.
'Everyone's facing the squeeze'
An unusually large number of customers shared their struggles at public hearings on utility rate increases last year and similar turnout is likely Thursday, said Tom Content, executive director of the Citizens Utility Board of Wisconsin, an advocate for residential utility customers.
"Everyone's facing the squeeze, seniors, single moms," Content said. "This is a chance for people to weigh in and just talk about where the existing programs aren't fulfilling their needs."
Content said the input sessions, by design, will allow customers to weigh in early and help shape the conversation rather than having to wait to respond to already-formulated proposals.
"It's a bottom-up process," Content said. "This makes all the sense in the world. The more we get people to weigh in on something, the more we’ll come up with a solution that meets peoples’ needs."