Your golden years are meant to be spent on the deck of a cruise ship sipping a martini or reading to your grandchildren.
But now, as you research electricity plans and try to understand the Texas Electricity Senior Discount, you feel like retirement isn’t all it was cracked up to be. You’ve got a headache from your computer when all you wanted was to make sure you had the best deal on electricity.
This guide will outline which Texas Retail Electric Providers offer electricity senior discounts in Texas, how to find out if you’re eligible and more.
Click on a section to skip directly to it:
If you’re wondering, “Do seniors get discounts on electricity?” The simple answer is yes.
Generally speaking, there are many programs that offer electricity senior discounts in Texas.
From cash grants to free home energy repairs and services, there are many ways seniors can save when it comes to electricity.
The first thing to know is that being “eligible” for a senior citizen discount for electricity will depend on which program you are applying to.
Eligibility requirements typically include:
There are a number of state-funded discounts and REP programs that vary in their eligibility terms.
The good thing is that finding out if you are eligible is often pretty simple.
Many income requirements are based on federal poverty guidelines. They can depend on monthly income and how many members are in the household.
As long as you are:
You are one step closer to getting you or your loved one the electricity senior discount they deserve.
We’ll introduce you to three programs that are available to you as a Texas citizen and that offer electricity senior discounts.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Weatherization Assistance Program are two of those programs.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs contracts with local agencies to provide bill payment assistance under both programs.
To qualify for either of these programs in Texas, household income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline.
It’s important to note that both the LIHEAP and Weatherization Assistance Programs are not entitlement programs, and access is limited by funding.
The LIHEAP and weatherization programs are available in each of the 254 Texas counties.
This program helps you conserve energy and lower your energy bills by providing free home energy repairs and services.
You can get help with insulation of:
Other repairs and services include:
You can also get help modifying your furnace and other heating devices to help them work better.
You or your loved one may benefit from this program at no cost.
It is important to note that weatherization funds are very limited in deregulated service areas.
You can locate the weatherization assistance program agencies that serve your area by:
The LIHEAP program provides your household with an annual cash grant to help you meet your:
The grants are paid either directly to you or to your energy company.
Grants can be used for:
In order to determine your eligibility and qualify for the LIHEAP program, you must need financial assistance for home energy costs.
Additionally, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is less than or equal to the following amounts:
Annual Household Income Limits (before taxes)
| Household Size | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $18,735 |
| 2 | $25,365 |
| 3 | $31,995 |
| 4 | $38,625 |
| 5 | $45,255 |
| 6 | $51,885 |
| 7 | $58,515 |
| 8 | $65,145 |
If you’re looking to find out if you or your loved one might be eligible, you’ll need to contact Texas’ state office.
The Texas LIHEAP office contact is Mr. Michael DeYoung, Community Affairs Director for the Texas Department of Housing & Community Affairs.
You can reach Mr. DeYoung by:
The Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) is a utility assistance program designed to assist low-income elderly and/or disabled households in meeting their immediate energy needs.
The goal is to provide relief to the high cost of energy for home heating and cooling from fluctuations in energy costs by providing financial assistance.
It also provides assistance:
A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as the…
…may be automatically eligible.
In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must:
| Household Size | Maximum Income Level (Per Year) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $18,735 |
| 2 | $25,365 |
| 3 | $31,995 |
| 4 | $38,625 |
| 5 | $45,255 |
| 6 | $51,885 |
| 7 | $58,515 |
| 8 | $65,145 |
In order to apply, you will need to get in contact with your local subrecipient agency.
To do that, you have two options:
Some regulated and municipal electric providers waive fees or provide other discounts to senior and low-income customers.
A few providers who offer discounts include:
You can always ask your electricity provider if you are eligible for any special programs.
But remember, you don’t need to switch or sign up with a new REP to reap the benefits of senior electricity discounts.
Depending of where to you live, you could have the power to switch to a better and cheaper electricity company.
There are a number of retail electric providers (REPs) in Texas that offer electricity discounts for seniors.
The first step to enrolling in or applying for one of these REPs programs is to be a customer of that REP.
Now first things first, why do you even have the choice of what REP you want to do business with?
Deregulation in Texas was introduced via the passing of Senate Bill 7 back in 2002, and because of it, you have the ability to:
Deregulation allows Retail Electricity Providers (REPs) to offer various rates, plan types, and different levels of flexibility to consumers like you.
Now, most Texas cities have retail electric choice (thanks to deregulation), but there are some cities and areas in Texas that do not.
When lawmakers deregulated electricity in Texas in 2002, it allowed cities such as San Antonio, Austin, San Marcos, and El Paso — as well as areas served by electric cooperatives — to remain regulated markets with a single provider.
So be sure that the REP you’re looking into services the area of Texas that you call home.
Let’s take a look at a few Texas REPs that offer programs or electricity senior discounts for eligible customers.
Customers on low or fixed incomes who participate in a certain state, federal, or local assistance programs can benefit from the City of Austin’s Customer Assistance Programs (CAP) utility discounts.
CAP Utility Bill Discounts can help reduce utility bills by an average of $650 a year.
The CAP program provides you with discounts on your monthly electric and water bills if you receive certain other assistance programs.
If you qualify, you may be eligible for the following waivers and discounts:
You may be eligible if you or someone in your household participates in one of these programs:
You may also be eligible for the program if your household income is less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Level.
In order to apply, you’ll need to:
CPS Energy’s discount program takes into account seniors who may be living on a fixed income.
Their Senior Citizen Billing Program allows customers additional time to pay the net amount of energy bills.
However, CPS Energy also offers another discount to eligible seniors.
Their Senior Citizen Late Payment Waiver waives any late payment fees.
If you or your loved one qualifies for the Senior Citizen Billing Program, you or they would receive 25 days, instead of the normal 16 days, to pay the monthly electricity bill.
Additionally, qualifying seniors would also be eligible to have their late payment fees waived.
To be eligible, the following conditions must be met:
Residential customers of CPS Energy who meet the following requirements are eligible for the Senior Citizen Late Payment Waiver:
You can apply for enrollment in the Senior Citizen Billing Program by completing an online application, visiting one of CPS Energy’s customer service centers, or by calling (210) 353-2222.
To apply for the Senior Citizen Late Payment Waiver, you or your loved one just need to complete the following form.
New Braunfels Utilities offers a number of discounts to its senior customers through their Senior Citizen Billing Program.
New Braunfels Utilities offers senior customers:
New Braunfels Utilities offers deferred payment of utility bills to senior citizens who are of 60 years of age or older.
NBU may require a person applying for payment deferral to present reasonable proof that they are 60 years of age or older.
It is important to note that in order to be eligible, the deferral payment may be applied to the customer’s primary residence account only.
Eligible customers interested in the program can:
Many of the programs we’ve shown you here have eligibility requirements and applications that must be submitted and approved before you’re able to redeem your electricity senior discount.
That can feel tedious and overwhelming.
If you’re looking for a quick, free, easy way to save some money on your electricity bill, whether you are on a fixed income or not, you can try Power Wizard. We are one-stop shop, that makes it easy and straight forward to find an affordable electricity plan that meets your needs.
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