Imperial Irrigation District’s Residential Energy Assistance Designed for You program provides income-qualifying customers with a 20 percent discount on their electric bill. IID also offers a 30 percent READY discount to qualifying customers age 60 or older. Participants who are 60 or older will need to reapply for READY every three years, while all other participants must reapply annually. It is the customer’s responsibility to renew the application. The income guidelines are as follows:

To establish eligibility you must complete the enclosed application and return it, along with any supporting proof of income (pay stubs, social security statements or other income documents). This is required for each adult in the single-family residence. The applicant must be the customer of record with IID. Persons not living in household cannot be claimed on another income tax return as a dependent, nor claim anyone that does not live in the single-family household. The discount will only be applied upon verification and approval.

How to Apply 

1. Complete and sign a READY application [Spanish PDF]. (This form may take a few moments to download)
2. Provide proof of income verification for the most current month. (Everyone in residence and additional income may be required)
3. Provide most recent tax returns, including all schedules.
4. Provide identification and social security number for all adults.
5. Submit completed application, along with supporting documents, to:

• energyassistance@iid.com
• Fax (760) 339-9744
• Mail to IID—P.O. Box 937, Imperial, CA 92251
• Or in person at the following Customer Service Centers:

   
Renewals:

•  To avoid interruption of your discount, it is recommended that you apply 4-8 weeks prior to your renewal application expiration date.

Change of Address:

•  You are required to contact IID if you move and need READY discount to continue at new address.

General disclaimers:

• Your primary single-family residence must be in IID’s service area.
• You must provide information requested within 10 working days or the application will be voided.
• Account must be in good standing to qualify.
• I agree to notify IID if my income changes.

You do not qualify for READY if:

• You have multiple residential accounts or the residence is multi-family.
• You do not meet the income guidelines.
• There is an Income Tax discrepancy.
• History of unpaid debt/collections (power, water or miscellaneous).
• You have history of unauthorized and unmetered energy consumption or meter tampering.
• Other restrictions may apply.

Budget Billing

To help shield residential customers from spiking electric bills, all READY customers are automatically enrolled in Budget Billing. This plan entails a fixed monthly payment, calculated by totaling power bills from the previous year, incorporating an inflation factor, and dividing by 12. The 12th month will involve a settlement statement approximating the average amount. To help ensure this change does not cause financial hardship, customers can take advantage of their Customer Assistance for Residential Emergencies quarterly pledge to help cover part, if not all, of the Budget Billing settlement month. Budget Billing is a requirement of being enrolled in READY.

Customer Assistance for Residential Emergencies

The district offers additional assistance for customers enrolled in READY who face electric service disconnection for nonpayment. Assistance is available each quarter:

If no other pledges have been requested and multiple past due bills exist within the same quarter, one-time assistance up to $450 is available for the third quarter billing (July, August and September).

To request assistance, a final notice is required. Pledge funding cannot be used for reconnect fees, deposits, transfers or to cover returned checks and related fees. Before approval of assistance, customers are required to pay the difference before any pledge can be approved. Assistance can be requested by phone between the hours of 8 a.m. and 12 p.m.

eGreen discount

Customers enrolled in READY will automatically receive an additional discount of approximately 3-6% on electric bills each month as part of IID’s eGreen program that was created to bring renewable solar energy to income-qualified households without the need for on-site solar installation.

To avoid fluctuating power bills, IID offers the Budget Billing Payment Plan. Budget billing spreads your annual usage into more predictable payments, making budgeting easier without changing your total cost!

The plan works as follows:

• Your budget bill is determined by totaling your power bills for the past year, adding a small inflation factor to help account for seasonal changes, and then dividing it by 12.
• For the next 11 months, you are billed according to the new averaged bill amount.
• Each month your meter is read as normal and you receive a statement reflecting your actual charges, but are billed the averaged amount.
• In your 12th month of participation, you will receive a settlement statement which should be close to the averaged amount*.

Although you are billed the same amount each month, you are only paying for the electricity you actually used.

Click here for more information on Budget Billing, or call (760) 335-3640 or toll free 1-800-303-7756.

* An increase or decrease in consumption may cause a larger or smaller settlement.

EASE is an assistance program that reduces the electrical rate for a defined quantity of electricity used to operate medical equipment by a single-family household that has a full-time resident who requires the use of electric devices for medical reasons.

• EASE Application [PDF] [Spanish PDF]
• EASE Program Information [PDF] [Spanish PDF]

The Senior Health & Income Energy Lifeline Discount (SHIELD) program helps seniors aged 60 and older who face high medical costs by providing a 30% discount on their power bill. To qualify, medical and pharmaceutical expenses must be more than 10% of annual income. Participation in the program requires renewal every three years. Customers are responsible for submitting a new application before their renewal date. Please review the eligibility requirements and include all necessary documents when applying.

To establish eligibility you must complete the enclosed application and return it, along with any supporting proof of income. The applicant must be the customer of record with IID. The discount will only be applied upon verification and approval.

IID encourages you to also complete the Energy Assistance for Special Equipment (EASE) section of the application. As SHIELD applicants have high medical costs, you may also benefit from EASE, which provides a reduced electrical rate for single-family households with a full-time resident who relies on electric-powered medical equipment.

How to Apply 

1. Complete and sign a SHIELD application [Spanish PDF]. (This form may take a few moments to download)
2. Provide proof of income verification for the most current month (everyone in residence and additional income may be required) and proof of medical and pharmaceutical expenses that exceed 10% of annual income.
3. Provide most recent tax returns, including all schedules.
4. Provide identification and social security number for all adults.
5. Submit completed application, along with supporting documents, to:

• energyassistance@iid.com
• Fax (760) 339-9744
• Mail to IID—P.O. Box 937, Imperial, CA 92251
• Or in person at the following Customer Service Centers:

 Renewals:

•  To avoid interruption of your discount, it is recommended that you apply 4-8 weeks prior to your renewal application expiration date.
•  Your discount period is for 36 months from the day approved.

Change of Address:

•  You are required to contact IID if you move and need SHIELD discount to continue at new address.

General Disclaimers:

• Your primary single-family residence must be in IID’s service area.
• You must provide information requested within 10 working days or the application will be voided.
• Account must be in good standing to qualify.
• I agree to notify IID if my income changes.

You do not qualify for SHIELD if:

• You have multiple residential accounts or the residence is multi-family.
• You do not meet the income guidelines.
• You are enrolled in READY.
• There is an income tax discrepancy.
• History of unpaid debt/collections (power, water or miscellaneous).
• You have history of unauthorized and unmetered energy consumption or meter tampering.
• Other restrictions may apply.

LIHEAP

If you need help paying your bill, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) may be able to help you with a one-time payment. LIHEAP provides assistance to eligible low-income households with the goal of managing and meeting their immediate home energy needs.

Please note, LIHEAP is federally funded and not administered by IID.

To apply for the program, contact the local provider below or visit the California Department of Community Services and Development website for more information.

Campesinos Unidos, Inc.

This provider offers utility payment assistance and weatherization services to low-income Californians in your area.

1005 C St., Brawley, CA 92227
Phone: (760) 344-4500
Website: http://www.campesinosunidos.org
Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Friday: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

CV-1 Subsistence Payments Program

Do you live in the communities of:

• Bard
• Desert Shores
• Heber
• Niland
• Salton City
• Salton Sea Beach
• Seeley
• Poe Subdivision
• Ocotillo
• Winterhaven

The County of Imperial would like to help those that have lost the ability to pay their electric, gas or water bill due to the Coronavirus Pandemic (COVID-19).

For more information on how to apply, please click on the links below. 

LIHEAP

Utility assistance is available in Riverside County for IID customers who have been impacted by the pandemic.

The Community Action Partnership of Riverside County now has their utility assistance application available online, making it easier for IID customers to apply. The online application to the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program can be found at: https://www.caliheapapply.com/. They can also be accessed below.

Customers can qualify for up to $1,000 under LIHEAP.

For information on LIHEAP, visit the Community Action Partnership website or contact:

Community Action Partnership of Riverside County

Phone: (951) 955-4900
Monday-Friday: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Website: www.capriverside.org/program/utilityassistanceprogram 

ARPA LIHEAP Utility Assistance

Community Action Partnership received American Rescue Plan Act funding that provides qualified customers additional LIHEAP utility assistance.

Applicants may qualify for up to $3,000.

ARPA LIHEAP is in addition to the standard LIHEAP. If an applicant received LIHEAP this year, they may still receive additional assistance under ARPA LIHEAP. Call 1-951-955-4900 for more information and to make an appointment.

United Lift Rental Assistance Program

The United Lift Rental Assistance Program is a coordinated effort between Riverside County, Inland SoCal United Way and Lift to Rise to keep Riverside County families and residents financially impacted by COVID-19 housed by providing direct rental and utility assistance.

The application portal will be live starting March 8, 2021 and applications will be accepted on a rolling basis at UnitedLift.org.

Eligibility

Federal guidelines require that households must meet ALL of the following eligibility criteria in order to be eligible for assistance:

• Renter household: rental assistance is reserved for renter households; homeowners or mortgage-paying households are not eligible for assistance. A lease agreement or other acceptable document proving renter status is required. County guidelines also require that households applying for assistance live within the County of Riverside.
• COVID-19 related financial impact: Rental assistance is reserved for households who cannot pay for rent and/or utilities because they have been financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Documentation of COVID-19 related financial impact is required.
• Earning at or below 80% of area median income (AMI): rental assistance is reserved for households that earned at or below 80% of AMI in 2020. Priority will be given to households earning at or below 50% of AMI in 2020. Proof of ALL sources of income from ALL members of your household for 2020 is required.

Home internet can be free with the ACP discount

The federally-funded Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households with $30 monthly discount on home internet plans.

For eligibility, someone in your household must be enrolled in at least one of the following: Lifeline, NSLP free or reduced school lunch program, CalFresh, Medi-Cal or SSI, Pell Grant, WIC, or has a household income of $53,000 or less for a family of four (add $9,000 per additional family member).

To apply, visit internetforallnow.org/applytoday, or call 1-866-935-1519.