Wisconsinites get help to pay overdue utility bills

Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) and the Public Service Commission (PSC), announced more than $21 million to cover utility bill arrearages for more than 36,000 qualifying utility customers across Wisconsin, through the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP).

“This year has been tough for folks and families, and we know there are so many who’ve struggled to make ends meet,” said Evers. “That’s why we’re working every day, to ensure families, our state and our economy, can bounce back from this (COVID-19) pandemic and part of that, is making sure households across the state, can keep their lights on and their utilities running.”

The more than $21 million for WHEAP to fund this initiative, comes from Wisconsin’s federal FY21 allocation for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

To assist eligible households impacted by the pandemic, the arrearage on accounts as of April 9, were paid off, based on information provided by utility customers on their previously submitted Program Year 2020-21 Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program (WHEAP) application. Eligible households did not need to apply to receive this assistance.

Following Evers’ “Safer at Home” order in March 2020, the PSC ordered several consumer protections, allowing people to maintain utility service, even if their financial situation prevented them from paying their utility bills on time. Later, the PSC provided direction to utilities on how to account for the COVID-19-related expenses, allowing utilities to maintain their financial strength and continue to provide reliable service to customers.