85,000 Portlanders eligible for PGE power bill discounts of up to 60%, company says - KATU

85,000 Portlanders eligible for PGE power bill discounts of up to 60%, company says

Cold air will be ushered into the region as a cold front moves through Sunday. Snow levels will bottom up near 500 feet by Tuesday morning.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Portland General Electric has announced 85,000 customers may be eligible for a discount program that takes up to 60% off of energy bills.

The Income-Qualified Bill Discount (IQBD) program, which launched in 2022, originally offered bill discounts of up to 25%. That bracket has now been expanded to 60% for 2024, the company says.

PGE states that there are currently 75,000 customers enrolled in IQBD, and they estimate another 85,000 could be eligible based on the program's income level criteria.

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IQBD eligibility is based on household size and average annual gross income, PGE says. Customers can apply through an online enrollment process on the PGE websi te (LINK HERE) or by calling customer service at 503-228-6322. Information is available in 15 languages.

For example of the income requirements, a single-person household bringing in an annual income of $33,427 can enroll, while a family of 4 can qualify with an annual income of $64,282.

“Energy is essential, and PGE is committed to serving everyone reliable and affordable power,” said Michaela Lynn, Senior Director of Customer Service, in a press release. “The IQBD has an easy enrollment process and was designed to result in meaningful assistance. We encourage all who qualify to sign up today.”

This announcement comes shortly after KATU reported on customer stress and outrage over PGE's energy bill price hike of 18% in the new year.

READ MORE: Portland General Electric customers outraged over new energy prices

The rate of the increase was decided in December by PGE and Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) based on the "final power supply forecast."

PGE and Oregon Public Utility Commission claim the increase is due to multiple factors including improvements to the Faraday Resiliency and Repowering hydroelectric project and upgrades in transmission and distribution systems.

However, KATU interviewed many customers who were stressed and outraged by the price increase.

“When I got my bill and it was $527 instead of $300 I was a little upset about that," PGE customer Kelly Lord told KATU. She said she expected the 18%, but her latest bill appears to be higher than the percentage she was quoted.

“There are a lot of people living paycheck to paycheck this is huge for them," she explained to us.

PGE has said the exact amount bills will increase is based on customer type and energy usage.

The company also stressed that "PGE is here to help all of our customers understand their bills and find programs that can help them save money and manage their energy use. We encourage any customer with questions or concerns to contact our customer service at 503-228-6322 or 800-542-8818."

In addition to IQBD enrollment, PGE customers can access payment extensions, payment plans, and community resources online or by talking to customer service.