Low-income assistance and nonprofit discount
You may qualify for a discount on your SMUD energy bill
We understand that sometimes it can be difficult to cover all your expenses every month. Because we feel that everyone needs safe, reliable energy, SMUD offers the Energy Assistance Program Rate, or EAPR. EAPR makes electricity more affordable for qualified low-income customers by providing discounts on monthly bills. Since October 2018, we have been phasing in a restructuring of this program so it better serves customers with the greatest need.
The changes align the monthly discount with household income. Customers with the lowest household income, based on the federal poverty level (FPL), will receive the largest discount. EAPR customers with a household income between 0% and 100% of the FPL would receive the largest monthly discounts. EAPR customers with a household income between 100% and 200% of the FPL would receive smaller discounts than those with incomes between 0% and 100% of the FPL.
To help with this transition, the changes will be phased in over several years. SMUD will assist customers with education and energy efficiency programs to help save energy in their homes to further reduce their energy bills. We’ll also invest in energy efficiency upgrades for customers most in need. These improvements will make a significant lasting impact by raising the overall energy efficiency of local housing.
If you run a nonprofit that provides housing or temporary shelter for low-income residents, you may be eligible for a nonprofit discount.
SMUD has teamed up with the City of Sacramento and United Way California Capital Region to offer free tax preparations to qualified customers. Qualified customers may also be eligible for a California Earned Income Tax Credit (Cal EITC), a refundable tax credit for low- to moderate-income working Californians. IRS-certified volunteers will provide free tax preparation with electronic filing and help customers find eligible tax credits.
View a list of SMUD staffed events.
View a complete list of United Way events and available languages by Sacramento region.
Low-income assistance
Eligible low-income SMUD customers can receive a discount on their energy bills, including:
Monthly maximum EAPR discount
Amounts are based on how your income compares to the Federal Poverty Level and can include a discount on energy use as well as a $10 System Infrastructure Fixed Charge discount.
| Federal Poverty Level | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| 0% - 50% | $50 | $60 | $70 |
| >50% - 100% | $40 | $41 | $42 |
| >100% - 150% | $30 | $25 | $20 |
| >150% - 200% | $30 | $20 | $10 |
Do I qualify?
Look at the chart below to see if your household qualifies under EAPR income guidelines.
| Download English application |
Descargue una solicitud |
If you have additional questions, please view the Energy Assistance Program FAQs or call 1-888-742-7683.
Para obtener información acerca de nuestro descuento de bajos ingresos en español, haga clic aquí.
EAPR income guidelines* (Effective March 1, 2019)
|
Persons in household |
Monthly income |
|
1 |
$2,082 |
|
2 |
$2,818 |
|
3 |
$3,555 |
|
4 |
$4,292 |
|
5 |
$5,028 |
|
6 |
$5,765 |
|
Additional members (each) |
$737 |
*Households are eligible for the discounted rate if their income doesn't exceed 200 percent of the federal poverty level. These figures reflect that percentage.
Nonprofit discount
If you’re a qualifying customer who operates a nonprofit that provides housing or temporary shelter for low-income residents, you may be eligible for our Energy Assistance Program Rate (EAPR) for nonprofit agencies. You may qualify for one of two programs if the residents you serve would otherwise be eligible for our residential EAPR:
- Residential EAPR
- General Services Energy Assistance Program Rate (GS-EAPR)
Is my nonprofit eligible?
This EAPR discount may be applied to qualified accounts that meet the following requirements:
- the customer named on the SMUD account must be a nonprofit, IRC 501 (c) (3) organization
- the account must be a nonprofit public (state, county, city, etc.) or private organization
Additional qualifiers:
- the facility must be used to house people who would otherwise qualify for our normal EAPR program (low-income households)
- documentation must be provided to substantiate the above
Other bill assistance programs
We offer several other options to help you pay your bill:
- Payment arrangements: See if you qualify for an installment plan, minimum payment or payment extension.
- Community assistance: We've partnered with several community organizations to help those in need.
- Medical equipment discount: We may be able to help if you have higher electricity costs because of your medical equipment.
Manufactured and Mobile Homes Program
You may qualify for energy saving products and services at no cost to you.
We are committed to helping our customers, especially those in need. To better serve our mobile home residents, we're providing home energy assessments to help identify eligible energy-saving improvements at no cost. This program is administered by our partner, Synergy EE.
Eligibility
SMUD customers who occupy manufactured and mobile homes are eligible to participate. Tenants may be required to have written permission from property owners.
Energy efficiency improvements covered:
- Central air conditioning tune-up
- energy-efficient, brushless fan motor
- energy-efficient fan controller
- LED lights
- programmable smart thermostats
Maintenance of your HVAC
Performing a tune-up on your central heating and cooling system, along with upgrading the fan motor with a more efficient brushless fan motor can increase the efficiency of the unit and reduce your energy use and costs.
Call Synergy to enroll now: 1-877-836-1239
Or register at synergycompanies.org
Want to find chances to save?
Take a look at these options available to eligible EAPR customers.