wa-law.org > bill > 2025-26 > HB 2373 > Original Bill
It is the intent of the legislature to demonstrate progress toward addressing the disproportionate impacts of home energy bills on low-income households and reduce energy assistance need consistent with the policies identified in this section.
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An electric utility with 25,000 or more retail customers must offer energy assistance programs, which must include a monthly bill discount program consistent with subsection (3) of this section, sufficient to meet energy assistance need, to all low-income customers by January 1, 2028, using funds generated by the utility's operations.
An electric utility with fewer than 25,000 retail customers must offer at least one energy assistance program, which must include a monthly bill discount program consistent with subsection (3) of this section, sufficient to meet energy assistance need, to all low-income customers by January 1, 2028, using funds generated by the utility's operations.
Each utility must demonstrate progress in each biennial period in increasing program participation rates and reducing energy burden. A utility must prioritize assistance to low-income households with a higher energy burden.
The monthly bill discount program must:
Provide an income-tiered bill discount to provide greater levels of assistance to households with a higher energy burden. The program must have a minimum of five income tiers. Benefit levels in each tier must be set to approximate the discount needed to meet energy assistance need for households in each tier;
Provide a reasonable discount to low-income households that are not in energy assistance need;
Rely on a third-party low-income needs assessment, updated no less often than every five years, to determine the income tiers and benefit levels specified in (a) and (b) of this subsection (3).
Under the program specified in subsection (3) of this section:
If an electric utility customer is unable to receive a monthly discount on their bill, the electric utility may provide a comparable monthly lump-sum payment to the household;
An electric utility may choose to maintain prior benefit levels to households if the previous benefit levels are greater than those required under this section.
In order to remove barriers and expedite assistance, each electric utility must, through the low-income energy assistance programs required under this section:
Offer in-person and over the phone opportunities to enroll in the program through the utility;
Offer opportunities to enroll in the program on the utility's web page;
Offer streamlined eligibility options, including categorical eligibility and self-attestation. An electric utility may use community action councils or other third parties to audit incomes. An electric utility may require recertification of program eligibility by a program participant no more frequently than once every two years;
Establish application requirements that are limited to what is necessary to enroll the household and effectively implement the program;
Codesign outreach materials and campaigns with community-based organizations, including local low-income service providers that specialize in serving low-income Black, indigenous, and people of color. An electric utility may enter into an agreement with the department to use outreach materials and strategies developed by the department and conduct outreach and enrollment for the purposes of enhancing participation of eligible households in utility low-income programs;
Develop the electric utility's energy assistance web page and program materials for multiple languages, and have the web page and materials reviewed and approved by first language speakers in Washington state; and
Provide quarterly bill inserts or email notifications to customers with program eligibility and enrollment information. Electric utilities may use model bill inserts or other text produced by the department to satisfy this requirement.
The department must collect and aggregate data estimating the energy burden and energy assistance need and reported energy assistance for each electric utility, to improve agency and utility efforts to serve low-income households with energy assistance. The department must update the aggregated data on a biennial basis, make it publicly accessible on its internet website and, to the extent practicable, include geographic attributes.
The aggregated data published by the department must include, but is not limited to:
The estimated number and demographic characteristics of households served by energy assistance for each utility and the dollar value of the assistance;
The estimated level of energy burden and energy assistance need among customers served, accounting for household income and other drivers of energy burden;
Housing characteristics including housing type, home vintage, and fuel types; and
Energy efficiency potential.
Each utility must disclose information to the department for use under this subsection, including:
The amount and type of energy assistance and the number and type of households, if applicable, served for programs administered by the utility;
The amount of money passed through to third parties that administer energy assistance programs;
The amount of money used to mitigate rate impacts to low-income customers and a description of any other benefits provided to ratepayers from the sale of allowances as required under RCW 70A.65.120(4), if applicable; and
Subject to availability, any other information related to the utility's low-income assistance programs that is requested by the department.
The information required by (b) of this subsection must be from the electric utility's most recent completed budget period and in a form, timeline, and manner as prescribed by the department.
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In addition to the requirements under subsection (6) of this section, each electric utility must submit biennially to the department an assessment of:
The programs and mechanisms used by the utility to reduce energy burden and the effectiveness of those programs ;
The outreach strategies used to encourage participation of eligible households, including consultation with community-based organizations and Indian tribes as appropriate, and comprehensive enrollment campaigns that are linguistically and culturally appropriate to the customers they serve in vulnerable populations; and
A cumulative assessment of program participation rates and previous funding levels .
The assessment required in (a) of this subsection must include a plan to improve the effectiveness of the assessed mechanisms and strategies toward meeting the energy assistance need.
A consumer-owned utility may enter into an agreement with a public university, community-based organization, or joint operating agency organized under chapter 43.52 RCW to aggregate the disclosures required in this section and submit the assessment required in subsections (6) and (7) of this section.
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The department must submit a biennial report to the legislature that:
Aggregates information into a statewide summary of energy assistance programs, energy burden, and energy assistance need;
Identifies and quantifies current expenditures on low-income energy assistance; and
Evaluates the effectiveness of additional mechanisms for energy assistance including, but not limited to, customer rates, a low-income specific discount, system benefits charges, and public and private funds.
The department must also assess mechanisms to prioritize energy assistance towards low-income households with a higher energy burden.
Nothing in this section may be construed to restrict the rate-making authority of the commission or the governing body of a consumer-owned utility as otherwise provided by law.
Section 1 of this act takes effect January 1, 2028.