Overview:

Summary: Governments can provide financial assistance for communities that have difficulties paying their utility bills.Increased use of air conditioning during extreme heat waves can raise household energy bills, costs that many low-income families already struggle to cover.

Implementation: Establish a fund to provide energy bill assistance.

Considerations for Use: This initiative can be accompanied with community outreach on how to apply for this program and education on low-cost ways to conserve energy.

• Policy Levers:
  
  
  Funding and FinancingThe allocation of public or philanthropic funding or private financing to implement projects, including risk transfer mechanisms.
• Trigger Points:
  
  
  City planning processesIncludes city initiatives such as the development of climate action plan, pathway to zero-energy, master plan, transit plan, energy mapping etc.
• Intervention Type:
  Planning/Policy
• Sectors:
  Public Works

Impact:

• Target Beneficiaries:
  Heat-vulnerable communities, Residents
• Phase of Impact:
  Emergency response and management
• Metrics:
  Number of families served by energy assistance program, Number of power outages/shut offs per heat wave or year

Case Studies:

• City of Palo Alto Utilities PLEDGE program
• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (UCLA Pg 7)

Implementation:

• Intervention Scale:
  City, State/Province
• Authority and Governance:
  City government, State/provincial government
• Implementation Timeline:
  Short-term (1-2 Years)
• Implementation Stakeholders:
  City government, State/provincial government
• Funding Sources:
  Public investment
• Capacity to Act:
  High, Medium

Benefits:

• Cost-Benefit:
  Low
• Public Good:
  High
• GHG Reduction:
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Climate/Environmental):
  N/A
• Co-benefits (Social):
  Save on utilities