Home : Income Qualified Assistance

Extra Help When You Need It

Are you having trouble paying your utility bills? Do you need help weatherizing your home to stay warm? These resources offer the help you need if your household income is at or below 60 percent of Oregon’s median income.

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Savings Within Reach

Energy Trust provides moderate-income customers of PGE, Pacific Power, NW Natural and Cascade Natural Gas with increased cash incentives for making qualified energy-saving home improvements.
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Community Resources

Find out what resources are available for low-income households as well as utility bill payment assistance.
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Simple ways to save energy at home

Whether you qualify for Energy Trust resources or not, you can always take control of your household’s energy use with a number of no- and low-cost ways to save energy and money.

Low-Cost Solutions

En Español

  1. Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).
  2. Install water-saving showerheads and faucet aerators.
  3. Clean or replace filters before and after heating season to help your furnace or heat pump work at peak efficiency.
  4. Install an ENERGY STAR® programmable thermostat so it adjusts automatically.
  5. Caulk small holes and cracks around plumbing pipes, exhaust fans, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains, fireplaces and under countertops.
  6. Use pots and pans with flat bottoms.
  7. Install exterior wall switch and outlet gaskets to prevent air loss and infiltration.

No-Cost Solutions

En Español

  1. Unplug battery chargers for power tools, mobile phones, laptops and other devices when not in use.
  2. Use a Kill A Watt® energy monitor to see where you can cut your electricity use further—see a list of participating libraries with Kill A Watts available for check out.
  3. Turn off lights when not needed.
  4. Use a countertop convection, microwave or smaller electric appliance, instead of a full-size stove whenever possible.
  5. Turn down the thermostat to 65–68 degrees during the day and 58–60 degrees at night during cooler months. If you have a heat pump, turn the thermostat down no more than 10 degrees at night.
  6. Wash and rinse laundry with cold water. To save more energy and water, run full loads.
  7. Use the water-saver washing and energy-saver drying options on your dishwasher.
  8. Check to make sure refrigerator and freezer gaskets seal tightly.
  9. Clean lint filters after drying each load of clothes.
  10. Close fireplace and wood stove dampers when not in use, but wait until several hours after the fire is out and the ashes are cold.