Energy Assistance Archives | Citizens Utility Board

CUB Q&A: The Low-Income Discount (LID) Program for ComEd customers

Elizabeth — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 18:17:52 +0000

Following the introduction of low-income discount programs for Illinois’ major gas utilities and private water companies, Commonwealth Edison (ComEd) will be rolling out its own discount program in January of 2026. This program is required under the Climate and Equitable Jobs Act (CEJA) and will provide monthly electric-bill discounts for eligible customers. Who is eligible for these electric-bill discounts? Customers of ComEd whose incomes are at or below 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Line (FPL). Customers who receive Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits (for households that are at or below 60 percent of the state median income) will be automatically enrolled in this discount program, so a good first step is to confirm if you qualify for LIHEAP. LIHEAP also qualifies you for your gas utility’s LID (for customers of Peoples, North Shore, Nicor, and Ameren Illinois). Stacking these three benefits can provide significant financial support for your utility bills. Important: If you earn too much to qualify for LIHEAP, you might still qualify for the LID program. Please review the eligibility requirements below and explore applying. How does the LID work? The LID program is a five-tiered system with a percentage-based discount associated with each tier. The amount of the discount will depend on the household’s income. ComEd has not yet announced the discount percentages that will be available for each tier. However, this information should become available as the program gets implemented in January. How do I know what Tier I’m in? Use the chart below to estimate your household income level for the past 30 days and your tier in the LID program. The chart can help you estimate eligibility, and the application process will confirm it. (A more comprehensive chart is linked here.) Number of people in Household Tier 1:0-50% FPL Tier 2:51-100% FPL Tier 3:101-150% FPL Tier 4:151-200% FPL Tier 5:201-300% FPL 1 Up to $652 $653 to $1,304 $1,305 to $1,956 $1,957 to $2,608 $2,609 to $3,913 2 Up to $881 $882 to $1,763 $1,764 to $2,644 $2,645 to $3,525 $3,526 to $5,288 3 Up to $1,110 $1,111 to $2,221 $2,222 to $3,331 $3,332 to $4,442 $4,443 to $6,663 4 Up to $1,340 $1,341 to $2,679 $2,680 to $4,019 $4,020 to $5,358 $5,359 to $8,038 5 Up to $1,569 $1,570 to $3,138 $3,139 to $4,706 $4,707 to $6,275 $6,276 to $9,413 6 Up to $1,798 $1,799 to $3,596 $3,597 to $5,394 $5,395 to $7,192 $7,193 to $10,788 7 Up to $2,027 $2,028 to $4,054 $4,055 to $6,081 $6,082 to $8,108 $8,109 to $12,163 8 Up to $2,256 $2,257 to $4,513 $4,514 to $6,769 $6,770 to $9,025 $9,026 to $13,538 How do I apply? There are two ways to apply, if you think your household qualifies (at or below 300 percent of the FPL): Tiers 1-4: Eligible households with income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for LIHEAP benefits and, additionally, will automatically receive the ComEd LID. To receive an LID discount, those households must apply for LIHEAP through their local Community Action Agency. To get more information on how to locate a household’s Community […]

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CUB Q&A: The Low-Income Discount Rate (LIDR) program for private water customers

Jim Chilsen — Thu, 11 Sep 2025 13:09:15 +0000

In late 2024, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved a low-income discount rate (LIDR) for eligible customers of Illinois’ private water companies, Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water. The program was launched in July of 2025. Who qualifies for the LIDR? To be considered for the low-income discount rate program… Aqua Illinois customers must have a pre-tax, household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL, also called the Federal Poverty Income Guidelines, or FPIG). Illinois American Water customers must have a pre-tax, household income at or below 300 percent of the FPL. To see if your household’s pre-tax income meets your utility’s required FPL for the LIDR program, use the Dollar Energy Fund’s Income Calculator. Dollar Energy is the administrator of both the Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water LIDR programs. PLEASE NOTE: Customers who receive Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) benefits (for households that are at or below 60 percent of the state median income) may also qualify for this discount program. Confirm if you qualify for both programs. How much of a discount is provided through the LIDR program? The discounts offered differ by utility because the cost of service differs for each company. For qualifying Aqua Illinois customers, the LIDR program provides a discount of 70 percent off the customers’ monthly volumetric charges (all usage). For qualifying Illinois American Water customers, the LIDR provides discounts that range from 10 percent to 80 percent off the customer’s total monthly water and wastewater bill. The amount of the discount is dependent upon the tier in which the customer’s household’s pre-tax income falls in the FPL, as outlined below: Illinois American LIDR Program Percent of Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG) Percent Discount Tier 1 0 – 50% 80% Tier 2 51% – 100% 65% Tier 3 101% – 150% 40% Tier 4 151% – 300% 10% How can customers apply? You may apply online or via phone with the programs’ administrator, Dollar Energy. Please be sure to have your income information available at the time of application. Proof of income will be required of all applicants. Online: Use Dollar Energy’s online application. Phone: Call Dollar Energy’s Contact Center at 1-888-282-6816 | 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. CST, Monday – Friday. Please note: Once enrolled, customers will be required to recertify their number of household members and income information annually to remain enrolled in the program. How is the LIDR funded? The LIDR is funded by a charge on the bills of all residential, commercial and industrial customers, including those who receive the discount. Are there discounted rates for other utility services? Yes. There are LIDR programs available for qualified customers of Illinois’ investor-owned gas utilities: Ameren Illinois (gas), Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas. LIDR programs for Commonwealth Edison and Ameren Illinois electric customers are not currently available, but they will be launched in the future. ComEd’s program is scheduled to be launched in January of 2026. CUB will update you when we have full information.

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Alert: LIHEAP has reopened applications

Sophia — Tue, 10 Jan 2023 16:23:23 +0000

With another potentially expensive winter ahead, CUB urges consumers to apply for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding, now that the application process has reopened. Households at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible for LIHEAP funding. The application period runs through May 31, 2023, or until funds are exhausted. Be sure to tell your friends, family and neighbors about this opportunity. To apply or learn more about LIHEAP, visit www.helpillinoisfamilies.com, call the Help Illinois Families Assistance Line at 1-833-711-0374 or contact your Local Administering Agency/Community Action Agency directly (visit the IL Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) website to find yours). There are two kinds of LIHEAP assistance available: LIHEAP Direct Vendor Payment (DVP) and Crisis Assistance. LIHEAP DVP is a one-time payment applicable to all income eligible households. Crisis Assistance offers Reconnection Assistance within 48 hours of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) receiving documentation, or 18 hours if the temperature is below 32°F. Unfortunately, because of a strain on funding caused by high energy prices this year, the Percentage of Income Payment Plan, or PIPP, is not being offered to new customers. PIPP allows customers of certain utilities to pay a percentage of their income and receive a monthly benefit toward their utility bill. Current PIPP participants will be able to continue on the program. There still is other LIHEAP funding available, so CUB encourages people to inquire about LIHEAP and if they qualify. Also, review the list below. Per state regulations, all utilities offer due-date extensions, payment plan arrangements and fee waivers for eligible customers. Below are resources available to consumers who are having trouble paying their bills, organized by major utilities. Electric ComEd Payment Assistance ComEd offers the Smart Assistance Manager, or SAM, a tool to match customers with payment assistance options. The utility recommends that you sign into your account to get personalized recommendations through SAM. Ameren Payment Assistance Ameren Illinois offers several forms of financial assistance, including short-term, one-time payment extensions and fixed monthly payment agreements to settle past balances. (For example, Warm Neighbors Cool Friends provides year-round energy assistance and home weatherization to make harsh winters and hot summers bearable. Eligible households can receive $350 during the heating season and $200 during the cooling season.) This program is also offered for gas customers. Ameren also offers the option to “Pick a Due Date” which allows customers to select a payment date that works best for them. Gas Peoples Gas Share the Warmth Administered by the Community and Economic Development Association (CEDA), Share the Warmth provides heating grants to limited and fixed-income households. Eligible customers who make a payment toward their bills receive matching grants of up to $200. Also available for North Shore Gas customers. Nicor Gas Sharing Program Qualified residential customers can receive a one-time annual grant of $350 or $400, with no requirement to pay back. The program is administered through the Salvation Army. Ameren Payment Assistance (see above) Contact your utility to get more information about assistance available and special payment plans to help you pay off your bills […]

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Worried about expensive utility bills? Check out these resources for Illinois consumers

Sophia — Wed, 04 May 2022 20:11:15 +0000

As energy prices skyrocket and an expensive summer approaches, CUB has compiled a list of resources to help consumers who are struggling with their bills. Please share this blog post with your friends and family. If you or someone you know is having trouble paying for utility services, the first step is to contact the utility. They will know what assistance is available and can give you information about special payment plans available to help you pay off your bills over a longer period of time. Below is the contact information for the major utilities: ComEd: 1-800-334-7661 Ameren: 1-800-755-5000 Nicor: 1-888-642-6748 People’s Gas: 1-866-556-6001 and North Shore Gas: 1-866-556-6004 General Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Administered by the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, LIHEAP is designed to help eligible low-income households pay for energy services. While the application period has passed this year (September 1, 2021 to May 31, 2022), this is a good program to have in mind for the next application cycle. The DCEO website has more information on how to apply. Read CUB’s LIHEAP fact sheet. Electric ComEd Payment Assistance ComEd offers due date extensions, payment plan arrangements and fee waivers for eligible customers. Ameren Payment Assistance Ameren Illinois offers several forms of financial assistance, including short-term, one-time payment extensions and fixed monthly payment agreements to settle past balances. (For example, Warm Neighbors Cool Friends provides year-round energy bill payment assistance and home weatherization to make harsh winters and hot summers bearable. Eligible households can receive $350 during the heating season and $200 during the cooling season.) Gas Peoples Gas Share the Warmth Administered by the Community and Economic Development Association (CEDA), Share the Warmth provides heating grants to limited and fixed-income households. Eligible customers who make a payment toward their bills receive matching grants of up to $200. Also available for North Shore Gas customers. Nicor Gas Sharing Program Qualified residential customers can receive a one-time annual Sharing Grant of $350 or $400, with no requirement to pay back. The program is administered through the Salvation Army. Ameren Payment Assistance Ameren Illinois offers several forms of financial assistance, including short-term, one-time payment extensions and fixed monthly payment agreements to settle past balances. (For example, Warm Neighbors Cool Friends provides year-round energy bill payment assistance and home weatherization to make harsh winters and hot summers bearable. Eligible households can receive $350 during the heating season and $200 during the cooling season.) Water Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) A new temporary federal program offers one-time payments to qualifying customers who are struggling to pay their water and wastewater bills during the pandemic. Read CUB’s fact sheet. Chicago Utility Billing Relief (UBR) Program Administered by the City of Chicago, the UBR Program provides low-income Chicago residents with a reduced rate on their water, sewer, and water-sewer tax, as well as debt relief for those who demonstrate they can manage the reduced rate bills for one year. Additional resources Receiving assistance in other areas, such as housing, can free up more money to pay your utility bills. www.FindHelp.org This website uses your zip code to connect you to nearby resources […]

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First person: Home energy assessment simple, easy, helpful for CUB lawyer

Sophia — Mon, 28 Feb 2022 18:43:56 +0000

By Eric DeBellis CUB Regulatory Counsel As a lawyer at CUB and a new homeowner, I figured I ought to practice what I preach, so I signed up for a home energy audit through my utility this winter. My experience was simple, easy, and helpful. An energy efficiency technician from Franklin Energy called me 45 minutes before arriving to confirm his ETA. Upon arrival, he handed me a box of weather-stripping for the door, a shower timer (my wife would attest I needed that!), and information on rebates for various efficiency products and services. He and his associate toured each room of the house and noted what equipment he’d need from his truck. He returned a few minutes later and methodically went down his to-do list, which included: Install pipe insulation on the water heater pipes. Check. Replace every non-LED/CFL or burned out bulb. Check. Check the bathroom for shower aerator. Check. (We have one, otherwise he would have installed that free of charge as well.) Check windows and appliances to make sure they are up-to-date and efficient. Check. As a professional energy policy wonk who’s spent the last month playing handyman in our new house, I had a lot of questions regarding insulation and the various projects I have been undertaking to reduce drafts. One tip he provided that I am embarrassed to admit I never knew: In the winter, you can run the fan clockwise so it pulls cold air up, pushing warm air down. I was today years old when I learned that! (And I just found out that CUB even produced a video on this very topic.) The technicians were friendly and professional, and the whole audit only took about an hour. Afterwards, I received the report via email. I highly recommend the home energy assessment. For more information, about this and other programs, visit CUB’s Clean Energy page, and read this WatchBlog article.

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Struggling with your bills? Take these three actions

Jim Chilsen — Mon, 21 Feb 2022 00:31:00 +0000

If you’re struggling to pay your utility bills during this expensive winter, you’re not alone. CUB has some guidance on what steps to take. 1) Call Your Utility. As the utility company is the entity issuing the bill and the only entity with access to your account, your first call—no matter the issue—should always be to your utility. Find out what assistance is available, ask if you can enter into a payment plan that gives you more time to pay off your debt and find out what energy efficiency programs are available. Call your utility companies at these numbers: Ameren Illinois – 1-800-755-5000 Aqua Illinois – 1-877-987-2782 ComEd – 1-800-334-7661 Illinois American Water – 1-800-422-2782 Nicor Gas – 1-888-642-6748 North Shore Gas – 1-866-556-6004 Peoples Gas – 1-866-556-6001 Utilities Inc. – 1-800-831-2359 Additionally, if you are in need of financial assistance, call LIHEAP, 1-877-411-9276 (WARM). The state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity and Help Illinois Families websites also are good resources. CUBHelpCenter.com has a list of financial resources to explore. Also, contact charities, such as the Salvation Army, Catholic Charities and the Heartland Alliance, to see if they offer assistance for utility bills. Contact your municipality to see if it has assistance programs for residents, and also check with religious institutions. Ask family and friends if they know of organizations providing assistance. 2) Practice energy efficiency. Simple actions at home could help control costs: Weather-strip doors, caulk windows and install storm windows if you have them. A door guard or sweep can help fill the gap at the bottom of your front and back doors. You can find most of these items at local hardware stores. In cold weather, set your thermostat to 68°F when you’re at home and awake. When you’re asleep or away, turn your thermostat down 7° to 10°F. Never let your thermostat drop below 55 degrees, as you could freeze your water pipes. Close blinds and curtains or cover your windows with blankets as an extra layer of protection against icy night winds, but open them during the day so sunlight can help heat your home. 3) Take action. While high gas prices have helped lead to skyrocketing heating bills this winter, so has overly aggressive utility spending. Please join the campaign to rein in the spending of the big utilities in Illinois. For more information, please visit CUBHelpCenter.com. Also, if you have a question or complaint about your utility service, and you’ve already tried to resolve any problem with your utility company, contact CUB, at 1-800-669-5556, or through its online complaint form: https://www.citizensutilityboard.org/complaint-form/

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New assistance program helps Nicor customers afford their gas bills

Hannah — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 18:22:42 +0000

Nicor Gas and The Salvation Army are partnering to provide emergency assistance to help individuals and families pay their natural gas utility bills. Funding through the Shield of Caring program will assist residential customers who are past due on their gas bill and report a financial hardship, such as a job loss, illness, military deployment or disability. Nicor has contributed $5 million of shareholder money to fund the program. Residential customers of the northern Illinois utility with an income below 400 percent of the federal poverty level will be eligible to receive a grant of up to $250 once every two years to apply to their past due account balances. Customers who have received funds from LIHEAP, Nicor’s Sharing Program or Energy Aide during the current program year will be eligible only if there is still a past due balance on their Nicor Gas account. The Salvation Army will distribute the financial assistance through its corps community centers and service extension units in Nicor’s service territory. Consumers can apply online for a Shield of Caring grant at ShieldOfCaring.com or by calling their local Salvation Army corps community center. The applicant’s name must match the name on the Nicor bill. It may take up to 30 days for grants to be applied to customer accounts. The multiyear partnership is estimated to help more than 25,000 families.

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Utility Diaries: A Month of Bills in Urbana, Illinois

Hannah — Tue, 11 May 2021 13:55:47 +0000

In Utility Diaries, we look at what different households across Illinois pay in a month for utility expenses. Today’s household consists of two people in a rented house in Urbana. Housing Background Location: Urbana, IL Household Size: 2 people Housing Type: House Rent or Own: Rent Square Footage: 1,215 Year Built: 1954 Energy Usage Heating: Gas forced-air furnace Cooling: Central air Average Monthly Gas Usage: 65 therms Highest Gas Month: February, 194 therms Average Monthly Electric Usage: 361 kilowatt-hours Highest Electric Month: August, 591 kilowatt-hours Water Usage Average Monthly Water Usage: 4,000 gallons Highest Water Month: July, 4,500 gallons Telecom Plans Internet Speed: 200 Mbps Cellphone Plan: Unlimited calls, text, and data (1 line) Utility Companies and Charges Last Month: Gas: Ameren Illinois, $61.81 Electric: Ameren Illinois, $34.35 Water: Illinois American, $52.44 Sewer: Urbana & Champaign Sanitary District (paid by landlord) Internet: Xfinity by Comcast, $50 Cell Phone: Verizon, $42 Garbage: Mel’s Disposal, $18 Recycling: U-CYCLE (free for Urbana residents) Last Month’s Total: $216.60 Do you have an alternative electric or gas supplier? We do not. The City of Urbana has a municipal aggregation contract for residential electricity supply with Homefield Energy that expires in January 2023, but we opted out of the program. Instead, we are signed up for Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing program, where we pay the real-time hourly rate for electricity. Even counting the monthly program fee of $2.25, over the last 12 months, we have saved $9.74. Have you participated in any programs to save on your bills? In addition to Ameren’s Power Smart Pricing program, we are enrolled in Ameren’s Peak Time Rewards program. Every summer, we are notified on days where Ameren expects high electricity use, and if we lower our usage that day, we get automatic credits on our bill. While we do not qualify for Ameren’s Income Qualified energy efficiency program, we were able to get a “free”* smart thermostat from Ameren, as well as discounted LED lightbulbs. *We didn’t pay anything for the thermostat, but like all Ameren customers, we pay into the energy efficiency programs through a tax on our monthly bill. What do you do to save energy and water at home? We use LEDs and faucet aerators on the bathroom and kitchen sinks. We also unplug nonessential appliances (not the fridge) when we’re not using them and wash clothes on the cold setting. In the winter, we keep the temperature around 66 degrees, and in the summer, 78 degrees. We’ve thought about putting a plastic bottle with rocks in it in the toilet water tank to retrofit our toilets into low-flow toilets but haven’t done that yet. Because we rent, we aren’t in control of the efficiency of our furnace, AC and refrigerator/freezer. Our home is older, very drafty and could use better insulation, but that’s out of our control. We have patched up some cracks in the baseboards with caulk as DIY air sealing. What are the details of your telecom plans? If you have internet service, do you own your modem and router? If you have cellphone service, do you own your phone? We are on […]

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News from CUB: Updated LIHEAP fact sheet provides key steps to getting help to pay your utility bills during pandemic

Jim Chilsen — Fri, 29 Jan 2021 14:59:51 +0000

Amid the worst public health and economic crisis in Illinois history, CUB is spreading the word about how families can get help paying their utility bills. Check out these resources: Our newly updated fact sheet, Energy Assistance: Questions and Answers. Our infographic on the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps low-income consumers pay their gas and electric bills. (English version | Spanish version). Helpful details about energy assistance: There’s a June 30 deadline to register for LIHEAP funding, but don’t wait to apply. The sooner you apply, the better. LIHEAP is available to more families this year. Because of the pandemic, there’s more money available for consumers, as CBS 2 Chicago reported recently. Also, last year the General Assembly amended state law to allow more people to qualify for assistance. Qualified applicants for the LIHEAP program now can have an income of less than 200 percent (adjusted from 150 percent) of the poverty level. To see if your income qualifies, consult the chart on this page. People are welcome to apply, regardless of immigration status. Currently, the LIHEAP system accepts an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) in place of a Social Security number (SSN). Even if you don’t have an ITIN, you can still apply. If you are interested in applying, you will need the following information/qualifications: Proof of gross income from all household members for the previous 30 days A copy of current heat and electric bills Proof of Social Security numbers, Individual Taxpayer Identification Numbers OR immigration status for all household members Proof of anyone in the household receiving TANF, SNAP, Medical Eligibility or other assistance from the Illinois Department of Human Services A copy of the rental agreement if utilities are included, showing the rent amount and landlord contact info To see if you qualify or for any questions, call the LIHEAP Hotline at 1-877-411-9276 (WARM). To avoid misinformation, CUB recommends you always use the State of Illinois’ website. (You can apply for funding at that website too.)

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