The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), in ongoing efforts to provide rate assistance to utility customers, today approved a multi-family discount pilot program for income-qualified customers of California-American Water Company (Cal-Am) living in disadvantaged communities.
In a prior Decision, the CPUC directed Cal-Am to outline a pilot program that provides a discount to water users in low-income multi-family housing. Cal-Am’s pilot program approved today will deliver benefits to low-income renters in multi-family buildings that do not pay a water bill directly.
The pilot program will offer discounts to water users in low-income multi-family housing in Cal-Am’s San Diego service area with the first component. The pilot’s other component will also expand Cal-Am’s existing water energy retrofit programs to include multi-family buildings and mobile home parks across Cal-Am’s service areas. This pilot program will not exceed $250,000 for the first component and $200,000 for the other component for the entirety of the pilot.
“As many Californians struggle with increased costs for necessities, the action taken today will help residents of certain disadvantaged communities save money on water and energy bills,” said CPUC President Alice Reynolds. “These programs offer creative solutions for people who aren’t charged directly for utility services through individual financial assistance and opportunities to install more efficient appliances and fixtures.”
The CPUC is addressing the affordability of water services and rate assistance programs for low-income customers of investor-owned water utilities in Rulemaking 17-06-024. Some populations in California, such as those living in multi-family housing situations, are unable to take advantage of the CPUC’s consumer assistance programs. Today’s Decision creates a pathway to provide affordable water service to those communities.
The proposal voted on is available at https://docs.cpuc.ca.gov/PublishedDocs/Published/G000/M479/K852/479852359.pdf.
The CPUC regulates services and utilities, protects consumers, safeguards the environment, and assures Californians’ access to safe and reliable utility infrastructure and services. For more information on the CPUC, please visit www.cpuc.ca.gov.
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