John Ulric Seng, Policy Manager, Spark Northwest, john@sparknorthwest.org
Noah Rott, Press Secretary, Sierra Club, noah.rott@sierraclub.org
Tacoma, WA -- Yesterday, 16 organizations including Native Daily Network, the Sierra Club, and 350 Tacoma submitted a letter calling on Tacoma Power to revise its Bill Credit Assistance Program (BCAP) by expanding eligibility, improving ease of access, and increasing the amount of guaranteed monthly assistance.
Washingtonians today are saddled with staggering levels of pandemic-induced utility debt, and accessible energy assistance programs are key to a full recovery. Better energy assistance is also critical to an equitable transition as homes and housing in our state switch from dirty gas to clean and safe electricity.
The letter states:
“Excessive energy burden forces low-income Washingtonians to choose between paying electricity bills and buying food. Black, Indigenous, and People of Color households also experience disproportionate energy burden across the nation. Robust energy assistance programs can alleviate existing energy burden, while also ensuring that historically marginalized communities see reductions, not increases, in energy burden as Washington homes and housing transition from polluting fracked gas to renewable electricity.”
Tacoma Power is in the midst of revising the BCAP program, with meetings and presentations scheduled through the end of October.
Specifically, the letter requests that Tacoma Power update its BCAP program as follows:
- Amend the BCAP+ proposal so all customers receive the maximum available credit ($21 plus customer charge equivalent) every month, rather than withholding credits due to late or incomplete payments. A consistent credit will empower customers to more quickly eliminate utility debt, whereas reducing credits after late or incomplete payments as currently proposed will exacerbate existing debt.
- Expand income eligibility for BCAP/BCAP+ to match Seattle City Light’s low-income discount program, which is available to households with income up to 70% of state median income (SMI)
- Eliminate the two year timeline, which is unlikely to fit each customer’s unique situation.
- Automatically enroll customers who are on a payment plan or have past-due balances.
- Allow text message and phone-based enrollment, with support for all languages.
- Provide dedicated outreach funding to community-based organizations like churches and senior centers, which are already helping customers enroll in energy assistance
- Update the BCAP webpage and communication materials to indicate that customers can self-attest for income. The BCAP website and printable application form still state that customers need to submit multiple documents to apply.
The Tacoma Public Utilities Board will hold their final public consideration of revisions on October 26, after which the Tacoma City Council will examine the proposal during city budget readings on November 15 and November 22. Advocates will continue to engage with the utility staff and board over the course of the process.
About the Sierra Club
The Sierra Club is America’s largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization, with millions of members and supporters. In addition to protecting every person's right to get outdoors and access the healing power of nature, the Sierra Club works to promote clean energy, safeguard the health of our communities, protect wildlife, and preserve our remaining wild places through grassroots activism, public education, lobbying, and legal action. For more information, visit www.sierraclub.org.