LOS ANGELES (November 2, 2021)— The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) has improved its customer application process for the ‘LADWP Cares’ Low-Income ‘EZ-SAVE’ Customer Assistance Program to provide qualified customers a simple and easy way to enroll quickly and learn about added cost-saving opportunities. ‘EZ-SAVE’ is part of DWP’s broad customer assistance efforts to help low-income customers afford the cost of water and electricity they use each month.
Currently, 123,000 income-qualified LADWP customers are enrolled in the utility’s Low-Income ‘EZ-SAVE’ program and receive monthly cost savings on electric, water and specified sanitation services.
“Angelenos shouldn’t have to worry about keeping their lights on or their water running,” said Mayor Eric Garcetti. “By streamlining the Low-Income Program application, LADWP is making it easier for more households to benefit from this program. This will help thousands of Angelenos take advantage of water, power, and wastewater bill savings and achieve a more financially secure future.”
Board of Water and Power Commissioners President Cynthia McClain-Hill said, “We’re making it easier, faster and simpler for low-income renters and homeowners to get the help they need and deserve when they sign-up for LADWP’s low-income assistance program. We’re dedicated to helping our customers who may struggle day-in and day-out to make financial ends meet despite working one or two jobs. We want to help them end their constant worrying about whether they would have enough money at the end of the month to pay their utility bills.”
“We know that our application process can often be a stumbling block that prevents customers from accessing the financial help they desperately need. By updating our ‘EZ-SAVE’ sign-up process to make it more user-friendly and easier to access online or by phone, we know we can and will enroll more eligible customers so they receive all of the financial assistance that’s available for them. In the coming weeks, we will launch a broad low-income customer outreach campaign to increase our ‘EZ-SAVE’ program enrollment over the coming months,” Ms. McClain-Hill added.
Under LADWP’s new simplified ‘EZ-SAVE’ application process, signing up for low-income assistance is easy and quick. Customers who meet the income eligibility requirements for the assistance program need simply disclose their household income on the application and provide a few other details such as the size of their household. Customers can apply online by visiting www.ladwp.com/Cares to determine their eligibility, log into their customer account and complete the brief application. Customers that don’t have an online account ID, can create one and complete the customer assistance application. In addition, LADWP customers may call 1-800-DIAL-DWP to request a paper application. Easy. Simple. Quick.
If approved, LADWP customers will begin to receive a financial assistance program discount on their very next LADWP bill. Enrollment in the low-income assistance program will also enable participants to access other financial assistance programs and generous long-term payment arrangements, up to four years.
Residential customers whose income and household size meet guidelines established annually by the LADWP Board of Commissioners are eligible for the low-income program. Current income guidelines are as follows:
| HOUSEHOLD SIZE | MAXIMUM ANNUAL GROSS INCOME |
| 1 | $34,840 |
| 2 | $34,840 |
| 3 | $43,920 |
| 4 | $53,000 |
| 5 | $62,080 |
| 6 | $71,160 |
| 7 | $80,240 |
| 8 | $89,320 |
| Each Additional Person | $9,080 |
Another financial assistance program available through LADWP is the Senior Citizen/Disability Lifeline Program which applies a discount to the energy bills of income-qualified customers who are 62 years of age or older, or permanently disabled, who provide proof of disability. Additionally, the Low-Income EZ-SAVE Customer Assistance Program and Lifeline customers are all given the opportunity to trade in older, inefficient refrigerators for new energy-efficient models through the Refrigerator Exchange Program.
LADWP also just announced an estimated $300 million utility debt assistance program that will be used to help qualifying residential customers who have struggled to pay past due utility bills as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic’s economic disruption.
“Our customer service team is standing by to help answer questions and to ensure our customers are able to take full advantage of the resources available through LADWP to help them with their utility bills,” said LADWP General Manager and Chief Engineer Martin Adams. “Last week we announced help in the form of direct state funding for utility debt incurred during the pandemic, we have already extended repayment plans, and now we are pleased to offer this new, streamlined application process for our Low Income ‘EZ-SAVE’ Program. We want our customers to know, they are not alone. There is help.”
To apply online or for more information about the Low-Income EZ-SAVE Program and other assistance programs, visit ladwp.com/cares.
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