||| FROM KRISTA BOUCHEY for ORCAS POWER & LIGHT |||
Through the Washington Families Clean Energy Credits Grant program, OPALCO residential customers could be eligible for a $200 Bill Credit. This program is supported with funding from Washington’s Climate Commitment Act, which supports Washington’s climate action efforts by putting cap-and-investment dollars to work reducing climate pollution, creating jobs, and improving public health.
Per state guidelines, these funds will be prioritized to members at or below the 80% area median income and if funds remain can go up to 150% of the area median income. This is a one-time $200 credit for eligible residential electric utility accounts.
It’s super easy to apply for this program, visit wacleanenergycredits.com/relief_program. You will need your OPALCO account number, the county that the account is in, the number of people in your household as of today, and the total gross (pre-tax) annual income for last year (2023) for all current adult household members. You won’t need to upload any documents to apply. If you get a text message saying you were pre-qualified with your account number, you will automatically be receiving the bill credit no later than September 15, 2024.
If your application is successful you will get a $200 bill credit applied directly to your power bill. You may receive a text message from Washington State Department of Commerce and the software company Promise to apply or to let you know that you were pre-qualified. Promise specializes in helping state and local governments distribute funds to utility customers. OPALCO is working with the state and Promise to get these funds to our local community.
Washington State and the Climate Commitment Act are giving out these credits because the increasing expense of utility bills for many households presents a significant obstacle for residents as the state transitions toward a clean energy future. The bill credits are to help alleviate these costs for these households.
The funds must be distributed by September 15, 2024, so apply today! Visit wacleanenergycredits.com/ for more information about this program.
Once again, the government runaround and snafu: Applicants need to provide a cell number and sign up for text verification to qualify. If you don’t have or want to use text messages, or only have a land line, then you must call an 800 number with really poor hours if you either don’t have a cell phone or don’t want to receive texts.
I tried to apply last week and ran into this problem – so it’s not easy to see if you qualify by applying online. Hope there are some funds left by the time I figure it out and I hope I remember! I wish they would make it easier for those of us who don’t have or want the latest devices.
Was also just told by someone without a cell phone that you need someone with a cell phone to get your code for you and then it only lasts for a few minutes. Why can’t there be an email option? It would seem that at since that huge program (connectivity) just ended for low income people, there would be provisions for folks not using cell phones. Nope! OPALCO? Community Resource Center? Can you help us?
for those without a cell phone or unable or unwilling to get text, here is a toll free number where you can get help applying by phone. Paula at OCRC helped me get it; thanks, Paula! You even get to talk with real human beings without all that robotic AI crapola.
1 – 877- 717 – 7664. you’ll need your OPALCO account number, address of service, and to give them permission to ask a few simple questions. Be sure to give them your email address if they forget to ask. Otherwise, they may try to text your landline if you have one.