Lower-income residents and East Haven customers of United Illuminating (UI) can shave some dollars off their electricity bills through the company’s new Low-Income Discount Rate (LIDR) program.

The program's rollout comes at a time when customers are beginning to use more energy as temperatures drop and house lights stay on longer with earlier sunsets. UI is looking to help shave off utility costs at the beginning of winter, as eligible customers will receive discounts during the December billing cycle.

“As the weather gets colder, the cost of heating a home and keeping the lights on can become a burden for families struggling to make ends meet,” said Frank Reynolds, President and CEO of UI. “We’re here to help provide greater affordability for families through the LIDR program this winter. The assistance will provide much-needed relief for our neighbors in need.”

LIDR is a two-tiered rate discount whereby eligible customers will receive either 10% or 50% of their monthly electricity bills, depending on household income.

According to UI and its parent company Avangrid, already 30,000 of the former’s customers have been enrolled in the LIDR program, but its scope is being expanded to towns like East Haven, given the greater need for beyond the largest cities in Connecticut. To show their support for smaller municipalities, Avangrid representatives held an event promoting the program at the East Haven Senior Center on Dec. 14.

LIDR was initially open to customers who qualified for state or federal assistance from programs such as the Children’s Health Insurance Program or Section 8 Housing/Rental Assistance, but there still remained low-income households who qualified for programs like Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC), but not the former programs.

“We opened up our list to a broader population,” said Lydia Santiago, a hardship analyst with Avangrid. “By opening up the list, we noticed there was a lot more need, so then the Low-Income Discount Rate covers all [state and federal assistance programs].”

Alongside WIC recipients, East Haven residents who are also eligible for LIDR include those who have at least one household member who participates in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Medicaid, or who support assistance from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, among others.

To enroll in the program and learn about eligibility requirements, East Haven customers can visit www.uinet.com/low-income-discount-rate. The two-tiered discount rate guidelines establish that a 10% discount on monthly energy bills is available for households at or below 60% of the state median income. For example, a four-person household with an annual income of $79,910 or below would qualify for the 10% cut. The second tier offers a 50% cut available for those with annual incomes at or below 160% of Federal Poverty Guidelines. A four-person household with an annual income of $48,000 qualifies, as does a single-occupant household with an annual income of $23,328.

Along with programs like WIC and SNAP, other UI customers who qualify for the 50% discount include those who participate in Supplemental Security Income/Social Security Disability Income, State Administered General Assistance, and Head Start.

“They would have a budget sheet, which is a verification of benefits that list the benefits they received from the agency and must be valid,” said Lakisha Nelson, UI customer service representative. “They can obtain that sheet directly from the agencies.”

Proof of income that must be shown as part of the enrollment process includes social security, proof of unemployment or employment with the most paystub up to a month by application, and pension.

Santiago said the enrollment process is meant to be “as easy as possible” for applicants, who send all documentation to hardship@uinet.com or mail them to UI’s address at MS OP 1D, 100 Marsh Hill Rd, Orange, CT 06477. They can also contact their local Community Action Agency, which for UI customers of both East Haven and North Haven is the Community Action Agency of New Haven at 419 Whalley Ave.

“They can mail the documents, they can fax the documents, or they can email them, and we don't need them scanned,” said Santiago. “We'll make it as easy as possible; take a picture and email it from your phone. We're trying to make it as user-friendly as possible.”

The program overall marks an additional advantage for East Haven residents in regards to lowering the costs of their utility bills either in their homes or businesses. Others introduced in recent months include HeatSmart’s Home Energy Solutions assessment and Small Business Energy Advantage programs and the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program through the senior center, which is also intended for low-income residents.

The next in-person event UI customers can attend will be in February at the Baldwin Center at 1000 W Broad St. While connection via phone or email is always accepted, Nelson encourages all to show up in person to the event in Stratford.

“The love of this program is to see the face-to-face interaction with customers and the joy that they have after they speak to us,” said Nelson. “Over the phone, yes, we're having a conversation, but face-to-face, we can empathize with them even more.”