Telecommunications Education And Assistance In Multiple
Do you need help understanding your phone bills or resolving a complaint with your phone company?
The TEAM program is sponsored and funded by the California Public Utilities Commission . Over thirty community based organizations throughout the state of California are part of the TEAM Collaborative and have been trained to provide free education and assistance with complaints to seniors and people who are non- or limited-English speakers. ACC Senior Services has been a part of the TEAM Collaborative since 2009 and is the only agency that provides this service in the greater Sacramento area. For more details, view the TEAM flyer.
How Can You Prepare
Update your contact information by visiting pge.com/mywildfirealerts or calling .
Prepare and practice a plan to keep you and your family safe during an emergency. Visit pge.com/disabilityandaging
Stay informed about outages by visiting pge.com/psps for outage maps and other resources.
During a PSPS please answer calls and/or reply to texts from 1-800-743-5002.
Will you need extra help? The California Foundation for Independent Living Centers can help you during a PSPS. Visit disabilitydisasteraccess.org.
Find backup power solutions, safety tips, financing and retailer information on pge.com/backuppower.
Get Paid To Use Less Power Once Per Week With Ohmconnect
Have you heard the buzz from your neighbors about OhmConnect yet? Itâs a free, secure service that PAYS you to save energy when demand across California is high and the electrical grid is overworked
How it works:
Find out more about the program and see if youâre eligible, here.
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Better Yet Upgrade To A Programmable Or Smart Thermostat
Programmable thermostats: Using the four pre-programmed settings, which allow you to adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule, can save you up to $180 a year.
Smart thermostats: These little guys not only let you monitor and control your homeâs temperature from your smartphone, PC or tablet âbut can help reduce your energy bill too. Thatâs because these devices can monitor temperature and humidity inside and outside your home, your comings and goings, and tailor heating and cooling cycles accordingly.
Single Family Home Repairs Grants And Loans
Section 504 may be a good option for single-family home repairs grants and loans for low-income families and seniors. The U.S. Department of Agriculture administers this program. Surely this department helps low-income families to have a better life. When you, as seniors feel the need for window replacement, you may seek help from this department.
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How Do I Verify The Workers Identity
Energy Savings Assistance Program subcontractor employees wear a royal blue shirt with ESA logo on right breast and subcontractor company logo on left breast with words, “Participating Contractor for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.”
Resource Innovations and Richard Heath & Associates field staff wear a gray shirt with Energy Savings Assistance Program logo on right breast area and the Resource Innovations or RHA company logo on left breast area with words, “Participating Contractor for Pacific Gas and Electric Company.”
All subcontractors and Resource Innovations and RHA field staff have an Energy Savings Assistance Program photo badge with their name, company name, identification number and the expiration date.
Central Inspection Program inspectors wear dark blue shirts with a PG& E logo and carry a PG& E ID.
PG& E Gas Service Representatives wear PG& E uniforms and carry a PG& E ID.
If in doubt of a subcontractor’s identity, please call . If in doubt of a PG& E employee’s identity, please call PG& E at .
Flexible Payment Arrangements Available For Customers Struggling To Pay Energy Bills Due To Recent Heat Wave Higher
OAKLAND, Calif. This summer ended up being one of the hottest in the states history with last month being the warmest month on record for several Central Valley cities. Historic high temperatures in many areas drove record energy use during the 10-day major heat wave earlier this month.
Preliminary usage data shows that on average, Pacific Gas and Electric Company customers residential usage increased almost 30% the week of September 4th over the same time last year.
PG& E is here to help customers manage impacts of higher-than-expected energy bills due to the heat wave with flexible payment arrangements. There are two payment plan options to choose from including installments to spread the balance over several months for up to 12 months, or an extension which lets customers pay the entire amount later.Customers struggling to pay their bill can choose the option that works best for them by logging onto their online account or calling PG& E at 800-743-5000.A long stretch of extremely hot temperatures can cause energy bills to be considerably higher. We know no one wants higher-than-expected energy bills and we are here to ensure customers are equipped with the programs and tools they need to manage costs, said Vincent Davis, Vice President of Customer Operations and Enablement at PG& E.
While customers cant control the weather which has an impact on energy bills, there are factors customers do control:
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Be Your Own Energy Sherlock
Utility workers make mistakes just like the rest of us, but when they make mistakes reading your meter, it can be costly. While youâll probably notice a big error on your utility bill, you may not catch more subtle errors, which can mean you pay more than you should be for power.
Make sure youâre only getting charged for the electricity you actually use by comparing the meter reading on your utility bill to what you actually see on your meter. If the amount on your meter is lower than the one on your bill, thatâs a dead giveaway that youâre being overcharged.
PG& E Customer Assistance Programs
In addition to the ways listed above, PG& E customers may be able to lower their electricity bill by taking part in money-saving programs that come directly from Pacific Gas & Electric.
PG& E offers many programs that can help you save money and energy. Check out the options:
Assistance Available To Ebce And Pg& e Customers Behind On Their Bills
East Bay Community Energy and Pacific Gas & Electric residential customers who are behind on their bills can take advantage of a new statewide program aimed at helping relieve their debt.
Through the program, each on-time payment of future bills earns customers forgiveness on one-twelfth of their total eligible debt. In other words, one year of on-time payments could equal complete forgiveness on eligible debt up to $8,000.
To be eligible for the debt assistance program, known as the Arrearage Management Plan program, customers must be enrolled in the California Alternate Rates for Energy or Family Electric Rate Assistance financial assistance programs. The CARE program provides low-income EBCE and PG& E customers a 35 percent discount on their electric bill and a 20 percent discount on their natural gas bill. To learn if you qualify for the CARE Program and how to enroll, click here. The FERA program provides an 18 percent discount to income-qualified households of three or more persons. For more information on FERA, as well as other energy bill discount programs, visit .
Customers enrolled in CARE or FERA are eligible to participate in the AMP program if they also meet the following criteria:
- Owe at least $500 on their gas and electric bill
- Have some debt that is more than 90 days past due
- Have been a PG& E and/or EBCE customer for at least six months, and have made at least one on-time payment
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How To Get Assistance / Grants On Window Replacement
Different people occupy different realities and so many people may go through tough realities. Especially seniors are the destitute people when they dont have any income source, savings, or other assets. They also feel the need for window replacement to go with energy efficiency, and the cost of replacing the window may be a little bit higher for them. So it is important to seek such assistance from the government, different organizations, and other sources that provide assistance and grants for replacing windows.
When someone is going to be great that works best for the community, assistance must come. The government of the United States of America always inspires such action and programs taken by the common people. So window replacement program has far-reaching goals as it is not just cutting the energy bills but it is going to ensure a better tomorrow. More importantly, there is some non-profit organization and utility service company and they also come forward to help low-income seniors and other people to go with energy efficiency program. Part of this, the Weatherization Assistance Program under the U.S. Department of Energy and other organization always go with the replacement of the windows program as well.
Pge Offers First Income
PORTLAND Ore. – Portland General Electric is giving lower income customers up to 25 percent off their energy bill.
Its a first of its kind program in Oregon, and it comes at a time when a lot of people could really use it.
Thanks to legislation that passed last year, investor-owned utilities in Oregon can now offer income-based energy bill discounts to customers.
PGE is offering a 15, 20 or 25 percent discount each month for two years to customers making 60 percent or less of the state median income.
For a one-person household, that threshold is about 30,000 dollars, and for a four-person household thats about 56,000 dollars.
A lot of sentiments from customers have kind of been overwhelming, PGE Customer Resources Specialist Tyler Richardson said. A lot of folks on a fixed budget, a lot of people struggling right now, so having the ability to enroll in something like this and to get some relief on their energy bill has been significant.
Already 4,000 customers signed up, and Richardson believes about 150,000 customers, about 17 percent of PGEs overall customers, qualify.
A lot of people are coming to us looking for how to save money on their bills, Sherrie Villmark, Program Director at Community Energy Project said.
She said this is more accessible for people than energy assistance programs, and things like remote work and extreme weather events exacerbate the need.
Theyve been working with PGE on this and telling the people they serve about it too.
Latest News
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What Are You Waiting For Change Those Lightbulbs
This oneâs a no brainer and if youâre reading a blog post like this one, weâre guessing youâve already done this. But just in case you havenât ⦠change those bulbs! Energy Star-qualified CFL light bulbs last about 10 times longer and use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. The Department of Energy says one CFL pays for itself in energy savings in less than nine months. After that, the savings go directly into your pocket.
What Do I Need To Do To Get Window Replacement Grants
Replacing windows may be your need to reduce the energy cost, and there is also assistance to help you. When you need funds to replace your window, it is important to check out the eligibility criteria. Additionally, they may have guidelines on getting started for going with window replacement grants. So you should get started with the required information to apply for assistance without any mistakes.
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Extra Notifications In Advance Of A Public Safety Power Shutoff
Medical Baseline customers may receive extra notifications as part of this outreach which may include additional phone calls or a door knock to ensure theyre aware and can make preparations to stay safe.
Extreme weather threats can change quickly. Our goal, dependent on weather, is to send customer alerts at 48 hours, 24 hours and just prior to shutting off power. We will do so through automated calls, texts and emails. Notifications are sent by phone, text and email.
Medical Baseline customers may receive extra notifications as part of this outreach which may include additional phone calls or a door knock to ensure theyre aware and can make preparations to stay safe. It is important that Medical Baseline customers acknowledge receipt of a notification by answering the phone and speaking or replying to the text message.
How Does The Wap Application Process Work
When you as a senior, are thinking of going with a window replacement program for energy efficiency measures, you need to get started with the application process. Indeed application process is the way to provide your information in the right way. So there are a few steps to follow.
Determine your eligibility: WAP grantees always prioritize seniors, families with disabled members, families with children, and high-energy users. More importantly, there is an income guideline under DOE, and households at or below 200% of the poverty income guidelines are considered eligible for weatherization services. One may also participate in a government program such as Supplemental security income and Aid to Families with the Department of Children.
Find your local weatherization Provider: Local organizations and providers of weatherization services, and you find them on the state, tribal and territorial websites. You can know how to apply there and some states may direct you through online application from their website. In addition, you may contact the local providers according to your need and convenience.
Complete Weatherization Application process: after finding a local weatherization provider, you may proceed with application forms with related information such as the previous years income or social security payment.
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Are There Any Programs Available For Low
PG& E offers programs to help low-income households reduce energy costs including:
- Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program : This federally funded program provides financial assistance to help offset eligible household energy costs, including heating, cooling and home weatherization expenses. For more information, visit LIHEAP.
- Relief for Energy Assistance Through Community Help : This is a program that helps customer pay for energy during a crisis. REACH provides an energy credit for up to $300 based on the past due bill and is subject to funding availability. For more information visit REACH.
- Energy Savings Assistance Program: The Energy Savings Assistance Program provides qualified customers with energy-saving improvements at no charge. Improving the energy efficiency of a home can significantly reduce energy bills. To see if you qualify, visit Energy Savings Assistance Program.
- CARE/FERA Discount Programs: CARE and FERA help eligible customers pay their energy bills. A monthly discount is applied on electricity and/or gas for eligible households. For more information visit CARE and FERA.
About Weatherization Assistance Program
Low-income people surely have to count an amount for energy bills and the U.S. Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program reduces the increasing energy costs by upgrading and boosting the energy efficiency of the homes. When they need to go for window replacement to increase the energy efficiency of their homes, this can be the first go-to start. The program under Weatherization Assistance Program supports 8,500 jobs and weatherization services to about 35000 homes every year by using DOE Funds.
According to a national evaluation, low-income households may go with this program as it is possible to save on average $372 or more every year. More than 7 million families have received the benefits of this program through the Weatherization Assistance program. There is a local weatherization organization where one may get weatherization assistance. In this case, it is important to get started by visiting the state WAP program that can help you identify a local organization that serves your location.
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Pg& e Summer High School Fellowship
PG& E Summer Fellowship Program Wraps Up!
PG& E and NEED just wrapped up a mostly virtual Summer Fellowship program for twenty high school juniors and seniors from throughout the Pacific Gas and Electric Company service area, Californias largest utility company.
Whats a Fellowship?PG& E offers a rich variety of college and career preparation programming, including scholarships and internship and tuition support. By connecting these with our high school CTE programs, we hope to build a pipeline from K-12 through college for students throughout Northern and Central California. Students were selected based on their level of interest in establishing a long-term association with NEED and with the sponsor, PG& E, and the Fellowship moniker recognizes that interest.
Meeting virtually, the new normal!The program is modeled on an earlier Virtual Internship Programs that NEED developed for the sponsor and ran during the Covid years. While Covid seems to be becoming a thing of the past, virtual meetings are part of the new world of work! The benefits of Zoom or Teams meetings includes bringing experts from one part of the state to speak to students hundreds of miles away and permitting students to participate even if they live in remote parts of the state. The challenges of meeting virtually are also very much part of our modern world, so we feel our students benefit from meeting this way at least part of the time.
Field trips are the best!
The Summer Fellowship is just the beginning!
Is Window Replacement Expensive
The window is not energy efficient, and it is not open and close when needed, for this is going to be the right time to update or replace the windows. There are some factors to consider while replacing windows, such as Aluminium, Vinyl, Wood, composite, Fiberglass, and energy efficiency features. Additionally, the cost of replacing windows may be different when it comes to bigger or smaller in size.
When you are truly thinking of window replacement, it is important to know the cost of such a replacement process. The cost of a window may depend on the type of window and the materials used. But the average cost of window replacement may come by $650 or between $200 and $1800. This cost may be higher or lower depending on the window frame, materials, and glass type. Additionally, there is also labor cost that may come by $100 to $300 per window.
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