{"id":43614,"date":"2025-09-11T08:09:15","date_gmt":"2025-09-11T13:09:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/?p=43614"},"modified":"2025-09-11T14:07:32","modified_gmt":"2025-09-11T19:07:32","slug":"cub-qa-the-low-income-discount-rate-lidr-program-for-private-water-customers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2025\/09\/11\/cub-qa-the-low-income-discount-rate-lidr-program-for-private-water-customers\/","title":{"rendered":"CUB Q&#038;A: The Low-Income Discount Rate (LIDR) program for private water customers"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In late 2024, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved a low-income discount rate (LIDR) for eligible customers of Illinois\u2019 private water companies, <strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/11\/21\/breaking-icc-grants-aqua-illinois-11-6-million-rate-hike\/\">Aqua Illinois<\/a><\/u><\/strong> and <strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/blog\/2024\/12\/05\/statement-from-cub-aarp-illinois-illinois-commerce-commission-oks-110-million-illinois-american-water-rate-hike\/\">Illinois American Water.<\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0The program was launched in July of 2025.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Who qualifies for the LIDR?<br \/>\n<\/strong>To be considered for the low-income discount rate program&#8230;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Aqua Illinois<\/strong> customers must have a pre-tax, household income at or below 150 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL, also called the <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/aspe.hhs.gov\/topics\/poverty-economic-mobility\/poverty-guidelines\">Federal Poverty Income Guidelines<\/a>,<\/strong> or <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FPIG)<\/span>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Illinois American Water<\/strong> customers must have a pre-tax, household income at or below 300 percent of the FPL.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>To see if your household\u2019s pre-tax income meets your utility\u2019s required FPL for the LIDR program, use the <strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardshiptools.org\/IncomeCalculator.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dollar Energy Fund\u2019s Income Calculator<\/a><\/u><\/strong>. <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.dollarenergy.org\/about\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dollar Energy<\/a> <\/strong>is the administrator of both the Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water LIDR programs.<\/p>\n<p><strong>PLEASE NOTE: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Customers who receive <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/learn-about-liheap\/\"><b>Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)<\/b><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> benefits (for households that are at or below 60 percent of the state median income) may also qualify for this discount program. Confirm <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">if you qualify for both programs.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>How much of a discount is provided through the LIDR program?<br \/>\n<\/strong>The discounts offered differ by utility because the cost of service differs for each company.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For qualifying Aqua Illinois customers, the LIDR program provides a discount of 70 percent off the customers\u2019 monthly volumetric charges (all usage).<\/li>\n<li>For qualifying Illinois American Water customers, the LIDR provides discounts that range from 10 percent to 80 percent off the customer\u2019s total monthly water and wastewater bill. The amount of the discount is dependent upon the tier in which the customer\u2019s household\u2019s pre-tax income falls in the FPL, as outlined below:<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table style=\"width: 96.8673%; height: 115px;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr style=\"height: 23px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 17.3822%; height: 23px;\" width=\"78\"><strong>Illinois American LIDR Program<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5132%; height: 23px;\" width=\"306\"><strong>Percent of Federal Poverty Income Guideline (FPIG)<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 126.072%; height: 23px;\" width=\"181\"><strong>Percent Discount <\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 23px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 17.3822%; height: 23px;\" width=\"78\"><strong>Tier 1<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5132%; height: 23px;\" width=\"306\">0 \u2013 50%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 126.072%; height: 23px;\" width=\"181\">80%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 23px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 17.3822%; height: 23px;\" width=\"78\"><strong>Tier 2<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5132%; height: 23px;\" width=\"306\">51% &#8211; 100%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 126.072%; height: 23px;\" width=\"181\">65%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 23px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 17.3822%; height: 23px;\" width=\"78\"><strong>Tier 3<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5132%; height: 23px;\" width=\"306\">101% &#8211; 150%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 126.072%; height: 23px;\" width=\"181\">40%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr style=\"height: 23px;\">\n<td style=\"width: 17.3822%; height: 23px;\" width=\"78\"><strong>Tier 4<\/strong><\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 49.5132%; height: 23px;\" width=\"306\">151% &#8211; 300%<\/td>\n<td style=\"width: 126.072%; height: 23px;\" width=\"181\">10%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p><strong>How can customers apply?<br \/>\n<\/strong>You may apply online or via phone with the programs\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Online:<\/strong> Use Dollar Energy\u2019s <strong><u><a href=\"https:\/\/www.hardshiptools.org\/MyApp\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">online application<\/a><\/u><\/strong>.<br \/>\n<strong>Phone:<\/strong> Call Dollar Energy\u2019s Contact Center at <strong>1-888-282-6816<\/strong> | 7 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m. CST, Monday \u2013 Friday.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Please note: <\/strong>Once enrolled, customers will be required to recertify their number of household members and income information annually to remain enrolled in the program.<\/p>\n<p><strong>How is the LIDR funded?<\/strong><br \/>\nThe LIDR is funded by a charge on the bills of all residential, commercial and industrial customers, including those who receive the discount.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Are there discounted rates for other utility services?<\/strong><br \/>\nYes. There are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/09\/Low-Income-Discount-Rate-LIDR-Program.pdf\"><strong>LIDR programs<\/strong><\/a> available for qualified customers of Illinois\u2019 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.\u00a0 ComEd&#8217;s program is scheduled to be launched in January of 2026. CUB will update you when we have full information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In late 2024, the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC) approved a low-income discount rate (LIDR) for eligible customers of Illinois\u2019 private water companies, Aqua Illinois and Illinois American Water.\u00a0The program was launched in July of 2025. Who qualifies for the LIDR? To be considered for the low-income discount rate program&#8230; 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\u2019s pre-tax income meets your utility\u2019s required FPL for the LIDR program, use the Dollar Energy Fund\u2019s 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.\u00a0 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\u2019 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\u2019s total monthly water and wastewater bill. The amount of the discount is dependent upon the tier in which the customer\u2019s household\u2019s 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 \u2013 50% 80% Tier 2 51% &#8211; 100% 65% Tier 3 101% &#8211; 150% 40% Tier 4 151% &#8211; 300% 10% How can customers apply? You may apply online or via phone with the programs\u2019 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\u2019s online application. Phone: Call Dollar Energy\u2019s Contact Center at 1-888-282-6816 | 7 a.m. \u2013 4 p.m. CST, Monday \u2013 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\u2019 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.\u00a0 ComEd&#8217;s program is scheduled to be launched in January of 2026. CUB will update you when we have full information.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":null,"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":0,"_facebook_share_type":"default","_twitter_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type":"default","_pinterest_share_type":"default","_linkedin_share_type_page":"","_instagram_share_type":"default","_medium_share_type":"default","_threads_share_type":"default","_google_business_share_type":"default","_selected_social_profile":[],"_wpsp_enable_custom_social_template":false,"_wpsp_social_scheduling":{"enabled":false,"datetime":null,"platforms":[],"status":"template_only","dateOption":"today","timeOption":"now","customDays":"","customHours":"","customDate":"","customTime":"","schedulingType":"absolute"},"_wpsp_active_default_template":true},"categories":[1189],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43614","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-energy-assistance"],"cp_meta_data":{"_facebook_share_type":["default"],"_twitter_share_type":["default"],"_linkedin_share_type":["default"],"_pinterest_share_type":["default"],"_instagram_share_type":["default"],"_medium_share_type":["default"],"_threads_share_type":["default"],"_google_business_share_type":["default"],"_wpsp_custom_templates":["a:7:{s:8:\"facebook\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:7:\"twitter\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:8:\"linkedin\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:9:\"pinterest\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:9:\"instagram\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:6:\"medium\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}s:7:\"threads\";a:3:{s:8:\"template\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"profiles\";a:0:{}s:9:\"is_global\";b:0;}}"],"classic-editor-remember":["classic-editor"],"_edit_lock":["1757617658:5"],"_edit_last":["5"],"_wp_page_template":["default"],"borntogive_page_header_show_hide":["2"],"borntogive_pages_title_show":["1"],"borntogive_pages_Choose_slider_display":["2"],"borntogive_pages_select_revolution_from_list":["3"],"borntogive_pages_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_pages_slider_effects":["fade"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_body_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_wide":["0"],"borntogive_pages_content_bg_repeat":["repeat"],"borntogive_pages_social_show":["1"],"borntogive_strict_no_sidebar":["0"],"borntogive_sidebar_columns_layout":["3"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_pagination":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_auto_slide":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_direction_arrows":["yes"],"borntogive_gallery_slider_effects":["fade"],"_wpb_vc_editor_type":["classic"],"_wpscppro_custom_social_share_image":[""],"_wpscppro_dont_share_socialmedia":["off"],"_wpsp_is_facebook_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_twitter_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_linkedin_share":["off"],"_wpsp_is_pinterest_share":["off"],"_selected_social_profile":["a:0:{}"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["1189"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["3"],"_wpb_post_custom_layout":["default"]},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43614","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43614"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43614\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":43632,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43614\/revisions\/43632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43614"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43614"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.citizensutilityboard.org\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43614"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}