1:00 PM – Open Discussion (through lunch) LIHEAP “Pain Points” and Solutions

Discuss challenges in local LIHEAP administration/implementation and triage with NEUAC to develop collaborative solutions.

1:45 PM – Streamlining Access to Affordability Programs
As energy costs continue to rise, millions of customers struggle to pay their utility bills. Despite the growing need for assistance, however, 2022 Low Income Energy Assistance Program data from the Rocky Mountain Institute shows that among eligible households, most states have less than a 20% participation rate in energy assistance programs. Higher participation rates benefit everyone in the energy value chain, reducing disconnections, lowering customer debt, and decreasing administrative burdens for customers, utilities, and agencies. So, to better understand and address barriers that vulnerable customers face in energy assistance program enrollment, Georgia Power participated in the E Source Low- and Moderate-Income Customer Journey Mapping Study. The study, concluding in January 2025, combines customer, utility, and agency interviews and ethnographic research to identify hurdles in the enrollment process, gaps in program awareness, and the beliefs and drivers of low-income customer behavior. In this session, Danny Johnson, Energy Assistance Manager at Georgia Power, will present real-life examples of the challenges their customers have experienced at multiple phases of the enrollment process. He will also share how adopting a human-centric application process and intentional collaboration with community action agencies can streamline access to energy assistance programs.

Speaker: 
Danny Johnson, Energy Assistance Manager, Georgia Power – Southern Company

2:15 PM – Q&A

2:30 PM – Break