Skamania Energy Assistance

Enrollment Event Announced for Energy Assistance Program for Skamania County Seniors

Low Income Seniors can apply November 2 & 4 at Hegewald Auditorium in Stevenson

Skamania County seniors can apply to receive assistance to pay their winter energy bills through two programs on Monday, November 2 and Wednesday, November 4 at the Hegewald Auditorium from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m.. This is a change from previous years when the sign ups were held at the Senior Center throughout the month.

The event is an ongoing partnership with Washington Gorge Action Programs (WAGAP) and the Skamania County Senior Center and will assist seniors to apply for two programs, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and the Skamania County PUD Senior & Disabled Program. 

“This year, more than ever, it is important that we protect our seniors. With the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, we decided to change venues and adopt social distancing measures to be sure that our clients had the safest possible event that still allowed us to work one-on-one with them to complete their applications,” said Jan Pearo, the Energy Assistance Director for WAGAP.

Safety measures begin with holding the event inside the Hegewald Auditorium to allow plenty of space for everyone to be socially distant. Face masks are required for all participants and will be provided to those who do not have one upon arrival.  Seniors will check in to put their name on the list and then return to their car to wait to be called in for their appointment.  Additionally, hand sanitizer will be available at all stations and tables will be disinfected between each client’s use. 

The LIHEAP program is provided by the Washington State Department of Commerce and runs from November through June. It covers all types of heating including propane, electric, gas, oil, coal and wood. To qualify for this program participants must earn less than 150% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). 

To apply, participants must provide proof of income for the past month, IDs for all adults in the household, Social Security cards for all family members and a copy of their heating bill. Pearo said funding sources are solid this year as there were funds remaining from 2019, which will be applied to the seniors first before the program begins general enrollment.  

“Seniors are our first application target group of the season because they typically are on fixed incomes,” Pearo said. She expects to begin to open her wait list for general applications for the LIHEAP program in mid-November with appointments to start in December. 

For all qualified participants, the benefit amount will be based on a combination of their household income and their records of the past twelve months of heating costs.  If approved, the participant would receive a one-time credit to their energy account and the credit would continue to be applied until the entire amount has been used. Those using wood sources receive a vendor voucher and the vendor would be reimbursed through WAGAP.  

The event will also help qualified seniors to apply for the Skamania PUD Senior & Disabled program which would offer a percentage discount on their utility bill based on a variety of factors including household income and number of persons residing in the household. The maximum total rebate is limited to $350. To be eligible for this program seniors must be 62 or older as of January 1, 2020. You can find details on this program at https://www.skamaniapud.com/pay-your-bill/home-energy-assistance/.

WAGAP is a Community Action Agency dedicated to helping individuals, families, and communities address basic human needs, including food security and energy assistance in Klickitat and Skamania Counties. For more than 50 years, the organization has offered support services to help people help themselves and reach self-sufficiency. Learn more at wagap.org or call (509) 493-2662.