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             California Public Utilities Commission
505 Van Ness Avenue, Room 5301          San Francisco, CA 94102
CONTACT: Armando Rendon              March 16, 1995      CPUC-020
         415-703-1366                               (Res. E-3407)

        CPUC REVISES LOW INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE LEVELS

     The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) today
updated income levels that energy utility companies use to
determine who is eligible for two low-income assistance programs.
New guidelines for the California Alternate Rates for Energy
(CARE) and the Low-Income Weatherization programs are effective
March 17, 1995, through March 16, 1996.
     Customers eligible for the CARE program get a 15 percent
discount on energy bills.  Households qualifying for the
weatherization program can have their homes inspected and as
needed get free attic insulation, caulking, low-flow showerheads,
or water heater blankets, and energy-efficient appliances
including gas furnaces and refrigerators.  Appliances and
materials provided vary according to the utility involved.
     The income levels are:
        Household Size                 Income Limitation
            1 - 2                           $16,100
              3                              18,900
(For each additional member, add $3,800)
     For low-income customers who are handicapped or 60 years and
older, the eligibility level for the weatherization program
begins at $21,500 for a 1 or 2-person household, $25,200 for
three persons, and $5,000 for each additional person.  Pacific
Power & Light Company, which serves the rural counties of Del
Norte, Modoc, Shasta, and Siskiyou, may use a lower per household
rate, $14,000 for a 1 or 2-person household, $16,400 for three
persons, and for each additional member, $3,300.
     The levels adopted today reflect a 2.6 percent inflation
rate based on the Federal Consumer Price Index for urban areas.
The amount last year for a 1 or 2-member household was $15,700,
for a 3-member household, $18,400, and for each additional
member, $3,700.
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