THE BRAZOS ELECTRIC RATEPAYER HARDSHIP FUND IS HERE TO HELP
The Brazos Electric Ratepayer Hardship Fund is a recently deployed assistance program that provides bill credits to eligible low-income residential cooperative members to cover the cost of recently added bill charges due to the high costs incurred during Winter Storm Uri.
The fund will pay 100 percent of the Winter Storm Uri securitization charges for qualifying members whose co-ops (such as United) securitized their final amounts owed to ERCOT. It is funded by a $140 million trust that’s designed to be in place for the next 10 years.
Once qualified, the program will cover that United member’s securitization payment for the next 24 months. Qualifying members must reapply every 24 months to continue receiving the assistance.
Here's who can qualify:
- Only current members of participating Brazos Electric member cooperatives are eligible to participate.
- If a member of your household meets the criteria for LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), your household may qualify.
- If not already a LIHEAP or SNAP participant, you may still qualify for assistance if your household income is at or below 200 percent of the Federal Poverty Line. For a family of four, that's about $60,000 in 2023.
- Eligibility will last two years and can be renewed if eligibility requirements are still met.
- If you qualify, the credit you receive will be the actual amount of the Uri-related charge or an estimated amount.
The application website opened Feb. 27, 2023, and contains more information about the process and has an online application form. Visit www.brazoshardshipfund.com for more information. You can also read and print a paper application form HERE.
Need other forms of assistance? Please visit our Assistance Page.