How to Apply for Energy Assistance in Milwaukee
The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) provides energy assistance to more than 200,000 Wisconsin families on an annual basis.
According to WE Energies, qualification is not based on whether someone is behind on their energy bills. Instead, the benefit amount is determined by a number of factors, including household size, income level and energy costs. A Wisconsin family of four earning less than $46,700 a year may be eligible for assistance.
Wisconsin residents can call 866-432-8947 or visit the Home Energy Plus website for more information.
WE Energies Rate Increase Effective January 1, 2011
According to an article by Thomas Content on JSOnline, rates for WE Energies residential and business customers went up January 1st.
The average residential customer will experience an increase of $5.50 a month, which is an increase of about 4.7% on a typical utility bill. That’s an average increase of $66 a year! The reason for the increase is WE Energies has finished paying out credits to customers from the sale of the Point Beach Nuclear power plant.
But wait, there’s more bad news.
The average business customer of WE Energies is going to see their rates go up 8 - 13%, and Content mentions that one energy intensive business will see their rates go up 20%. What will these Milwaukee area businesses do? Pass the increases along to customers by raising their prices? Reduce salary increases, bonuses, and profit sharing? Layoffs? Not hire new employees?
Sorry, it gets worse.
More rate increases are on the horizon. The Public Service Commission will be meeting on January 6th to discuss a rate increase proposal for 2011. Content also reports that it is expected WE Energies will file paperwork in March to request another rate increase for 2012.
What is your reaction to this news? Do you plan to take action to offset the rate increases? Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment.
Throughout 2011 we’ll be sharing strategies to help you reduce your utility bill. In the meantime, here are a few helpful posts we’ve written in the past:
- How to Get a $50 Credit on Your WE Energies Bill
- Save Money on Your WE Energies Bill with a Time of Use Program
- WE Energies Budget Billing
- How to Seal Air Leaks in Your Home
- Home Assessment Tool from Focus on Energy
- Have You Changed Your Furnace Air Filter Recently?
Save Money on Your WE Energies Bill with a Time of Use Program
If you’re looking for ways to reduce your energy bill, it’s worth your time to explore the three Time of Use programs offered by WE Energies. In a Time of Use program energy prices are lower during off-peak hours and prices are higher when demand is high.
WE Energies offers three levels for Wisconsin customers to choose from. When comparing the three levels versus your current billing, keep in mind the standard cost per killowatt-hour (kwh) is $0.12611 at this time.
Level 1 - The off-peak cost of electricity is 9 cents per kwh. On-peak price is 19 cents per kwh. This is a good level to get familiar with the program.
Level 2- The off-peak cost of electricity is 5 cents per kwh. On-peak price is 25 cents per kwh.
With Levels 1 and 2, customers have four options of how their on-peak hours are defined:
- 7am to 7pm
- 8am to 8pm
- 9am to 9pm
- 10am to 10pm
According to WE Energies, Level 1 may be best for customers who can shift 53% to 62% of their electricity use to off-peak hours, do not have many large electric appliances, and do not have electric heat. WE Energies suggests that Level 2 may be best for customers who can shift over 62% of power usage to off-peak hours and have many electric appliances.
Level 3 is a pilot plan for residential customers in effect through January 1, 2011. According to WE Energies, this level has on-, mid- and off-peak periods with prices that vary by season. This level offers the greatest potential savings if used correctly, but it also has high risk if you use too much on-peak electricity. Therefore, it may be wise for customers interested in time of use programs to get acquainted with the program by using Level 1 and Level 2 before moving on to Level 3. Click here to see all the details on Level 3.
To enroll in one of WE Energies Time of Use residential programs, call WE Energies at 800-242-9137. Commercial customers can obtain more information on their options by calling WE Energies at 800-714-7777.
Related posts:
- How to Get a $50 Credit on Your WE Energies Bill
- WE Energies Budget Billing
- Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program
