Round-it-Up: Small Cents for Big Change
Home Energy Uplift Program
Resolution RS 2018-1508
A resolution encouraging Nashville Electric Service (NES) to offer a customer-remove policy in order to provide additional funding for NES’s Home Energy Uplift program, and further requesting NES and the Tennessee Valley Authority to match funds resulting from the program.
What is NES Home Energy Uplift?
NES Home Energy Uplift provides whole-home, deep-energy improvements to limited-income homeowners in Davidson County valued around $8,000 per home.
How does this benefit families?
Health and Wealth. Weatherization may help improve symptoms caused by respiratory issues like asthma and lung cancer. Depression, anxiety; injury or death from fires or accidents; hypothermia; and skin and eye irritation can be helped when addressing environmental health through weatherization. Energy cost can help one’s ability to pay for food and prescriptions and decrease sick days at work. Young children and seniors are at greatest risks.
Will the program provide jobs for low-income people?
It should. TVA has contracted with Tennessee Urban League Affiliates to develop a training program for minority contractors; making them apart of the TVA’s Quality Contractor Network (QCN). The details and timeline for project ready workers are presently unclear. Energy Electives LLC is an approved QCN member, certified (BPI) for weatherization currently improving homes in the Nashville area.
Is this a tax?
No, it’s NOT a tax. The program is 100% voluntary. NES customers would be able to opt-out at any time. NES would also allow customers several months to opt-out before the program begins. RS 2018-1508 asks NES to extensively and effectively market the transition in its Round-UP program to all NES customers.
Why the shift to an opt-out program?
An opt-out program will greatly increase the funding for this highly beneficial program. Opt-out programs have significantly higher participation rates – from less than 10% for opt-in to more than 60% for opt-out programs. NES has estimated an opt-out Round-Up program would grow funding for Home Energy Uplift to about $1.5 Million per year.
How much will it cost customers?
Very little. On average participating customers will give only pocket change – about 50 cents per month – or about $6 per year to support this life-changing program for limited income families.
What to do now?
Contact your councilmember. The state of TN has given NES and other local power companies until December 2020 to offer the opt-out program. NES has stated they will not approve the program without community (i.e. Council) support.