Only 775 of the nearly 600,000 potentially eligible Con Edison customers have enrolled for the state\u2019s expanded energy assistance program since it opened last month, the company said.<\/p>\n
The Energy Affordability Program helps eligible New Yorkers struggling to afford their utility bills by providing monthly discounts. Discount levels vary by household size and income<\/a>. In New York City, someone who uses gas heat and whose income is less than 60% of the area median income \u2014 $68,050 for a single person and $97,200 for a household of four \u2014 would see discounts of more than $135 per month.<\/p>\n The program, known as EAP, has traditionally helped low-income New Yorkers already enrolled in other government assistance programs. But last month, the state broadened eligibility for EAP to those who meet the income requirements, even if they\u2019re not getting one of the other forms of aid.<\/p>\n Ian Donaldson, a spokesperson for Public Utility Law Project, a ratepayer advocacy group that helps people understand their utility bills and connects them to resources, said it\u2019s not uncommon for it to take some time for customers to learn about and apply to such programs.<\/p>\n \u201cWe do believe that once word starts to spread around about it opening up, that more households will enroll,\u201d he said. \u201cWith regard to the application, I’ll be honest, you do need to provide a lot of information and that can be somewhat arduous.\u201d<\/p>\n