2120 Milvia Street, 2nd Floor, Berkeley, CA 94704
TEL: (510) 981-7439, TDD: (510) 981-7474
Office Hours: Mon-  Fri 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Email: Energy@ci.berkeley.ca.us

Need Help Paying your Energy Bills?

Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program:  981-7771

Low-Income Free Home Weatherization Program:  981-7770

Low-Income Home Safety and Repair program:  981-7760

All other energy services:  981-5435

See our Frequently Asked Questions page for seniors and low income residents.

Low-Income Guidelines 

Please call for more information on these and other criteria you may meet for energy bill payment assistance. You may also qualify for free seismic improvements as well.

Bill Payment Assistance    

The Energy Office administers the Federal Low Income Household Energy Assistance Program (LI-HEAP) which provides low-income households with energy bill payment assistance. Approximately 1,000 clients are served annually. All clients are referred for weatherization work to reduce subsequent bills.  Check the above chart, or call 981-7770 to see if you qualify. 

You may qualify for additional assistance if you are on medical baseline or life support. Customers dependent on life-support equipment and those with special heating or cooling needs may be eligible to receive a standard medical baseline quantity of approximately 500 kilowatt hours (kWh) of electricity and/or 25 therms of gas per month at the lowest price, in addition to standard baseline quantities. To qualify for medical baseline, a licensed California doctor must certify that a full-time resident in your home is:

• Dependent on life-support equipment used in the home;

• A paraplegic, hemiplegic, quadriplegic or multiple sclerosis (MS) patient with special heating and/or cooling needs;

• A scleroderma patient with special heating needs;

• Being treated for a life-threatening illness or compromised immune system with special heating and/or cooling requirements to sustain the patient's life or prevent deterioration of the patient's medical condition.

Hearing-impaired customers with Telecommunications Devices for the Deaf (TDDs) may call PG&E at 1-(800)-652-4712.

Free Home Weatherization Services

Energy Office staff can provide free weatherization and minor home repair services.  The programs are funded by LI-HEAP, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the City of Berkeley.  Services vary by program, and include free attic insulation, weatherstripping, water heater blankets, low-flow shower heads, duct insulation, high efficiency lighting, window repairs/replacement, and ceiling fans.  These programs are meant to help you permanently reduce your energy bill, and save you money all year long.  Check the above chart, or call 981-7770 to see if you qualify. 

Minor Home Repair      

The Energy Office funds the Community Energy Services Corporation, (CESC), a local not-for-profit agency to provide minor home repair services, principally for senior households, and as a youth training program.  Approximately 30 homes are serviced annually. In addition to these home repairs, all homes receive weatherization services.

Other Services

The Energy Office helps residents install high-efficiency fluorescent porch lights that residents can leave on at night for safety without running up large electric bills. Call 981-7770 for more information.

Other Assistance

The Salvation Army  offers bill payment assistance to those who have a sudden, urgent need. Call 1 (800) 933-9677 to find the location nearest you.

Want to know more?

• Energy use in Berkeley and impacts on the environment

• Reducing energy use from cars and trucks

• Renewable Power (renewable energy sources)

• I Hate Fluorescents!

Updated  October 9, 2007

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