Up to 67,000 low-income Maine households will get discounts on their electric bills this year after an overhaul of a state assistance program.
People who already receive public health insurance or food and heating benefits will now also be automatically enrolled in the Low Income Assistance Program, or LIAP, that provides a percentage discount for eligible customers of Central Maine Power and Versant Power, according to the Maine Department of Health and Human Services.
Previously, eligible people had to enroll in LIAP separately by applying through their electric utility. The department estimates that tens of thousands of additional households will get into the program thanks to the system changes.
“Maine families are being pushed to the brink by the President’s whipsaw tariffs and his reckless war in Iran,” Gov. Janet Mills said in a Thursday press release. “At a time when every dollar matters, my administration is making it easier for vulnerable Mainers to lower their electric bills without unnecessary paperwork or bureaucratic hurdles.”
CMP customers could receive up to 81% off of their bill, and Versant customers could save up to 83%, depending on their income level, according to the Health and Human Services Department.
Funding for electric benefits nearly doubled this year, to about $40.5 million. The program is paid for through the state budget, a surcharge on utility bills and through a fund set up by developers of the New England Clean Energy Connect power line in western Maine.
This story appears through a media partnership with Maine Public.