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Illinois Ratepayer Funded Rate Assistance

• Effective 1998, the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (SLEAF) was authorized through electric utility restructuring legislation. The law directed gas and electric utilities (participation by municipal utilities and electric cooperatives is optional) to assess a monthly charge of $0.40 per month on each residential electric service account and $0.40 per month on residential gas service accounts, plus higher amounts for commercial and industrial accounts. The utilities collect the charges from customers (about $76 million yearly), and deposit them into a state fund, which the General Assembly then appropriates yearly to the state LIHEAP and weatherization grantee. About 80 percent of the fund goes for low-income bill payment assistance and 10 percent supplements the state's weatherization program. Annual SLEAF funding for bill payment assistance has averaged about $65 million annually. See electric utility restructuring legislation.
  
  
• In July of 2007, a $1 billion multi-year rate relief package was approved for electric customers of Ameren Illinois and Commonwealth Edison to help offset electric rates that had escalated after rate caps in place for nine years expired. Rate hikes averaged about 30 percent statewide, but some all-electric homes saw increases up to 300 percent. The package included low-income summer cooling assistance, rate credits and weatherization. For the low-income, ComEd was to spend at least $20 million over three years; Ameren about $16 million, over 4 years.

Note: Leveraging reports do not always give a complete statewide picture. Some resources are not reported through leveraging or are under reported.

LEVERAGING

2010: $66 million
2009: $60.4 million
2007: $35.4 million
2006: $46.4 million
2005: $54.6 million
2004: $65 million
2003: $61.4 million
2002: $65 million
2001: $62.2 million
2000: $65.2 million
1999: $62.3 million

Page last updated: October 21, 2011