Consumer Protection & Advocacy
Standing up for our low-income customers is essential to ensuring a more equitable energy sector. Before you testify in front of your public utility commission, take a look at our succinct toolkits and sample testimonies.
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Video Presentations & Webinars
Slide Presentations
Tools
Video Presentations & Webinars
Energy Advocacy 2021
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How can Community Action Agencies fully engage in policy decisions about energy access, affordability, and policy? NCAP and National Consumer Law Center provide an overview of the many resources, tools, and connections available for state and local energy advocacy. We also discuss and provide ready-to-use tools for incorporating a strong racial justice component in advocacy for low-income energy programs.
Water and Energy Programs Amidst COVID-19 Spotlight on Arizona
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Water and energy program funding has been critical for families impacted by COVID-19. Watch this national webinar to hear from colleagues in Arizona on how they have risen to the challenge, and are innovating with technology to ensure a more safe and streamlined program model.
Utility Debt in the Pandemic: How to Change Shut off and Collection Policy
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CAAs and other LIHEAP agencies foresee a coming tsunami of debt. A few states have enlightened debt-management and forgiveness policies. If yours is not one of them, this presentation by John Howat, Senior Energy Analyst with the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), provides model approaches and what to present to state policy makers to win changes. You will learn how utilities finance unpaid bills, how to use NCLC’s new templates for low-income utility program discount and arrearage management programs, and actions you can take now to help customers in crisis. For more, check out NCLC’s new COVID-19 resource collection.
Slide Presentations
Affordable Energy, Today and Tomorrow
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Energy advocates from two states discuss their most recent campaigns, and allow time for participants to engage in an “appreciative inquiry” approach to their own work
Access to Solar Energy: An Update and Cautions
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This presentation provides a background on the consumer protection issues that accompany the growth of solar installations, with advice for state and local WAP networks in strategizing potential solar projects.
How We Organize to Win BIG for Low Income Energy Consumers
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Many state Community Action Associations have won utility and state resources for their members’ energy affordability programs. This presentation covers how to find funds for energy staff that win and keep utility resources and consumer protections for the network.
Current Utility Regulatory Issues and How You Can Respond
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Panel presentation from NCAP’s 2018 Annual Convention discussing the major issues and key arguments for low-income advocates with specific attention to what state and local WAP networks should know and how they can engage on these issues.
Tools
Model Testimony: Fixed Charge Testimony
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Offers model arguments to rebut rate proposals with high fixed charges.
Tool: Rate Case Discovery Questions
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Includes strong sample questions that Weatherizers and associations can use for ‘discovery’ in a rate case that would provide significant utility information for informed intervention.
Model Testimony: Regulatory Commission Testimony
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Excellent winning example of utilizing simple data to maintain or increase utility programs.
Model Testimony: Risks of On-Bill Financing
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Provides detailed argument on the risks of on-bill financing for energy efficiency.