PORTLAND, Maine — The Maine Public Utilities Commission approved changes Tuesday to expand an energy assistance program expected to help thousands of low-income Mainers.
The PUC said as many as 46,000 additional people will be able to qualify for the Low-Income Assistance Program and their average benefits could increase by as much as 31 percent.
“We’ve seen electricity costs go up significantly, as well as prices all across the economy, so we know that Mainers are struggling,” commission Chairman Phil Bartlett told NEWS CENTER Maine. “This is a way to provide some meaningful relief to those who are probably struggling the most.”
Bartlett said the commission will work with the Department of Health and Human Services to notify everyone who is eligible for the Low-Income Assistance Program this fall.
"We had allocated $15 million for this program statewide," he explained. "What the Legislature did was authorize an additional $7.5 million a year for two years that could be used to help support the program. What we did was look to see how we could use those additional resources to help Maine customers."