Over the last two years, TXU has reinvigorated its legacy of caring with a significant increase in funding programs that help customers in need pay their electricity bills. TXU's commitment to its best-in-class low-income assistance programs, including its relationships with over 400 community social service organizations, makes the company the Texas energy market leader in lowincome assistance. A dedicated low-income assistance staff administers the programs by responding to approximately 145,000 inquiries annually through four social agency channels. In 2005, TXU received over $12 million in bill-payment assistance, helping over 70,000 families. The funding came from three main sources: government-funded agencies, community-funded organizations, and TXU Energy Aid.
TXU ENERGY AID FLAGSHIP PROGRAM
Since 1983, TXU Energy Aid, TXU's flagship assistance program, has provided more than $34 million to help 280,000 families in temporary financial need pay their electricity bills. In 2005, the program provided $4.8 million in benefits that aided 20,000 families. TXU contributed more than $4 million and customers and employees provided the remainder. TXU employees alone pledged close to $127,000 in the second-annual TXU Energy Aid campaign, exceeding goals by over 30 percent and increasing donations by 100 percent compared to 2004.
LOW-INCOME ASSISTANCE
During 2005, TXU was the most active Texas electric market participant in attempts to salvage LITE UP Texas, a program that gave 120,000 TXU low-income customers a 10 percent discount on their electricity bills. The funding for this program was redirected by the Texas Legislature in August 2005. In response, TXU made an unprecedented commitment in October 2005 to fund up to $25 million in low-income benefits to this same group of customers during 2006.
Other significant advocacy accomplishments to help low-income customers in 2005 included:
- Conducting five energy assistance/social agency workshops to educate community organizations on the programs available to assist families in need.
- Operating the TXU Energy Cool Line/Check on Your Neighbor referral line during the summer to direct consumers to local social service agencies that provide bill-payment assistance and other resources to protect those at risk from severe heat.
- Partnering with 211 Texas - an information and referral hotline - to connect customers with energy assistance resources.
- Sponsoring Sheltering Arms Senior Services in Houston, as the only corporate sponsor of Care for Elders, a nationwide initiative to improve seniors' lives, including helping them link to financial assistance so they do not have to choose between paying for rent, utilities, food, or medicine. In 2005, TXU made a $500,000, three-year commitment to extend the reach of this partnership's work with older adults and family caregivers in Houston and Harris County.
- Helping build energy efficiency awareness across Texas through TXU's Home Energy Makeover. TXU works through its community partnerships to identify homeowners whose homes have weatherization needs. Teams of volunteers from youth organizations perform the improvements to demonstrate how easy it is to use the Home Energy Advisor, TXU's online energy audit tool, to conserve energy and save on monthly bills. Learn more at www.txu.com Click on Residential and then Energy Savings & Tools.
- Lobbying for change in the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. TXU supported successful efforts to increase funding for bill-payment assistance and other support to low-income customers throughout the state.
