Last week the Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC), responding to a legislative mandate from the 2016 session of the Virginia General Assembly, conducted a public hearing on the important issue of energy efficiency programs in the Commonwealth and the costs and savings that can be achieved through such programs. The Virginia Poverty Law Center (VPLC) regards these programs to be vitally important in the efforts to ease the financial burden on Virginia’s most vulnerable families, while having the added benefit of helping our state’s environmental future as well.

The VPLC believes it is time to bring equality and fairness to the energy costs experienced by low-income Virginians. A recent report examined energy costs of households in 48 large American cities, including Virginia Beach and Richmond. It found that low-income single and multi-family households, as well as minority families in general, pay as much as three times or more in energy costs as a percentage of their overall income than the average American household. Such utility costs come at the expense of other household necessities, such as buying food, clothing and transportation.

One answer to this disparity in energy costs is to take advantage of the value of energy efficiency programs for families. Another study found that every dollar invested in energy efficiency programs will save nearly three dollars in energy costs in multi-family housing.

We have an opportunity to address this issue in Virginia. We have an opportunity to help make efficient and affordable energy available to every Virginian. We urge you to join the VPLC and other supportive organizations to let the SCC know your support for energy efficiency programs that will benefit low-income Virginians. You can do so by signing on to the VPLC petition that asks the State Corporation Commission to act on behalf of low-income Virginians and their high energy costs. You can do so through this link: https://www.facebook.com/VaPovLawCtr/app/335652843138116/?ref=page_internal

Thank you for your attention to this information and request and for helping to address this important issue in Virginia.

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