Mass DTE Decision Facilitates Low-income Discount Enrollmemt

The Mass. Department of Telecommunications and Energy (DTE) has released a decision in a proceeding on methods to increase the penetration rate for discounted electric, gas and telephone service (DTE 01-106). The proceeding has been underway since December 2001 and involved advocates such as the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the Massachusetts community action network as well as utilities and state human service agencies.

The DTE's decision leads the way toward a computer matching system between the utilities and the state's Executive Office of Health and Human Services (EOHHS) that will "streamline the enrollment of eligible customers on discount programs in a cost-efficient manner." EOHHS operates MassCARES,  an information sharing and technology initiative, through which EOHHS can obtain client information. The DTE decision anticipates that the MassCARES state beneficiary database will be used to facilitate enrollment of customers in discount programs.

The DTE has already reached a Memorandum of Understanding with EOHHS regarding changes that will be made to EOHHS applications forms for such programs as food stamps and TANF. Applicants will be asked to give their permission to release limited information to utility companies, which allow EOHHS to certify that the EOHHS applicant/beneficiary is income eligible for utility discounts. The DTE ordered utilities to share information electronically with EOHHS to identify these EOHHS-served households that are income eligible for the discounts, and to presumptively place households on the appropriate discount rate. The utilities also must send notice to the households letting them know that they have been placed on the discount rate and that they have the right to be removed from the discount if they so request.

NCLC estimates that tens of thousands of additional low-income households could be enrolled in the discounts. The decision applies only to electric and gas low-income discount programs; enrollment in telephone discount programs will be handled in a separate DTE decision. The DTE said it will take at least a year for the computer matching program to get underway; in the interim, utilities must continue current enrollment procedures. .

Page Last Updated: January 11, 2008