New WA Energy Assistance Programs Won’t Help Heat/AC Conversions

The WA State Department of Commerce announced Monday a pair of new programs they claim are designed to help some WA residents pay for their utility bills, and possibly help with certain HVAC conversions. But, those 'makeovers' are not what you might think.

    Dept. of Commerce says $35 million of the billions of CCA money set aside

When the Climate Commitment Act went into effect in January of 2023, a series of carbon credit auctions began (where businesses had to buy pollution credits just to operate) and we saw gas prices skyrocket over $.50 cents. Other utility costs went up as well, including natural gas.

A series of laws and moves by the state are aimed at ridding the state of natural gas use. There is growing evidence pressure is being put to cut back on natural gas service, and it's been estimated by the Building Industry Association of WA (BIAW) the cost converting the average home to electricity instead of natural gas is $40,000.

Now 2 new programs claim they will help consumers. The Dept of Commerce (DOC) has introduced SHEAP, the State Home Energy Assistance Program, and LIHEAP, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.  SHEAP will utilize $35 million to help people in certain income ranges pay their utility bills.

LIHEAP will help people in those same income ranges with possible repairing or replacing of an unsafe or inoperable HVAC system.

Note, the LIHEAP program does not offer direct conversion assistance, straight from the LIHEAP website:

"LIHEAP provides energy assistance to households in Washington through a network of community action agencies and local partners. Through LIHEAP, you may be eligible for: 

• Financial assistance with your utility bill 
• Help repairing or replacing an unsafe or inoperative heating or cooling unit 
• Making your home more energy efficient through Commerce’s Weatherization Program"

Notice it says unsafe or inoperative.  There is nothing on the page about helping with the estimated $40,000 conversion cost from natural gas to electricity.

Based on income levels, these programs would help about 1.2 million residents, according to DOC estimates contained in the report. In order to participate, you have to schedule an assessment with a program "partner" who is working with these programs.

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Between public utilities, energy co-ops, city utilities, and other power supply companies ranging from Benton PUD, Avista in Spokane, Puget Sound Energy, Cascade Natural gas, and others, there's at least 2,9 million utility customers in the state.

These state programs would only benefit, at most, maybe 1.2 million households, well below half of the customers. And, that's assuming every eligible household participates.