Energy Assistance Programs in the Gorge Mid Columbia Heating bills cut off electricity bills high_.jpg

Energy and Utility Assistance

We offer a variety of utility assistance and discount programs designed to help low-income households with paying utility bills or purchasing bulk fuels, including heating oil, wood pellets, and propane.

Free insulation and weatherization of your home even if it's rented in the dalles hood river wasco sherman_.jpg

Weatherization Services

Local programs and grants that reduce your energy bills, permanently.

Utility Assistance Programs

We offer a variety of utility assistance programs designed to assist low-income households with paying utility bills or purchasing bulk fuels for heating assistance.

Benefit amounts are determined by total household income, size, and energy type and do not typically require a disconnection or situation where heating fuel is nearly exhausted in order to be received.

Households who have already received energy or water assistance for the program year but who are facing an energy emergency, such as service disconnection or heating fuel being nearly exhausted may also be able to receive additional assistance depending on funding availability and household eligibility.  If we are unable to help, referrals to other organizations might also be an option.

Assistance availability is subject to funding and may be seasonal.

In addition to seasonal assistance, MCCAC partners with many local utility vendors to offer year-round local assistance and discount programs.

Participating vendor partners with discount programs:

  • City of Hood River

  • City of The Dalles

  • Northern Wasco County PUD

  • The Dalles Disposal

  • Hood River Disposal.

Participating vendor partners with local bill-pay assistance programs:

  • Northern Wasco County PUD

  • Wasco Electric Co-Op

  • Northwest Natural Gas

  • City of Cascade Locks

For more information on how to qualify for these programs, please call 541-298-5131, ext. 206 or email us at energy@mccac.com today.


Intake Questions Overview

Below are a few of the basic questions we will need to ask and some criteria regarding eligibility. Our team is here to help walk you through the application process.

  • Eligibility Overview:

    • Must be located in Wasco, Sherman or Hood River Counties | WA Gorge Residents click HERE

    • Have you received assistance before? | This determines if you need a new application or an extension to previous assistance.

    • What type of heating or cooling do you have? We serve people that have natural gas, electricity, wood, propane, and heating oil systems.

    • How many people reside in the household? How many adults? How many children?

    • What is the source and amount of gross income for the household? Income earned by minors is not counted.

    • Is the household in a crisis situation?

What documents are usually required?

  • Income verification for all household members except minors.

  • Identification* and Social Security cards for all adult members, Social Security cards only for minors (if unavailable we can use a waiver).

  • Utility/Vendor bill(s), statement, invoice or receipt (must be in the name of the applicant or any adult household member).

  • Proof of SNAP enrollment for zero income adults (if applicable).

  • *Many different forms of identification are allowed. Social Security numbers/citizenship are not required for certain programs and situations. Call us for more information or assistance obtaining needed documents.

Disconnect utility notice with change on it.

UPDATES

At this time, we are not accepting applications for general heating assistance.

If you have a past due bill or disconnect notice, contact us through the phone numbers below.

For more information about assistance call:

The Dalles Office: 541-298-5131, Ext. 206

Hood River Office: 541-298-5131 Ext. 310


Apply For Utility Assistance

 

Download & Print

Click below to download the original form for you to print and post or deliver to one of our offices at:

2505 W. 7th St. • The Dalles, OR 97058
606 State St. Suite 1B • Hood River, OR 97031

Drop-in

Tuesdays are walk-in days for past due and shut-off notices. Call ahead for required documentation.
Our Offices are open to walk-ins, first-come-first-served, every
Tuesday from 9am - 12pm and 1pm - 4pm

Weatherization Services

Reducing your energy bills, permanently.

Our weatherization program is designed to assist households with low incomes to permanently reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy-efficient. Measures may include attic, wall, floor, and duct insulation, testing space and water heater equipment for repair or replacement, and other minor repairs to increase the safety and affordability of your home.

Both homeowners and renters with low incomes may qualify for weatherization assistance. Before weatherization services can be provided to a rental property, the property owner must provide written authorization.

Wait times for weatherization services are dependent on available funding and household priority level. Applications are prioritized based on a variety of factors, including heating emergencies, high energy usage and cost, and household members who are elderly or disabled, among others.

Income eligibility requirements vary by program.

Qualifying for weatherization assistance.

  • Income eligibility varies by program, with 200% under the poverty level as a general benchmark(2020).

  • The weatherization of an owned home requires much of the same process as other energy assistance. Click here for an overview of that process.

  • We’ll need permission from your landlord or property manager to weatherize a rented home. Let us know if you need assistance talking to your landlord about this process.

  • ID and documentation of income are also requirements.

Questions about Weatherization? Give us a call today!

Insulation inside a Framed Wall of a house

Apply For Weatherization Assistance

 

Get Qualified Through Energy Assistance

The first step to accessing Weatherization Assistance is qualification, this is done through our Energy Assistance team, complete the form below or get in touch with us to get started.

2505 W. 7th St. • The Dalles, OR 97058
606 State St. Suite 1B • Hood River, OR 97031

Get Yourself On the Waitlist

Once you’ve qualified for Energy Assistance you may apply for weatherization. Due to the high demand for these programs, we maintain a waitlist to best serve everyone’s needs. Qualified folks are added to the waitlist and notified of changes and/or updates when appliciable.

Work With Our Teams

Once you’ve been through our waitlist process we’ll work with you to fill out all the correct documentation and get connected to contractors to get your house weatherized.

Call us today: (541) 298-5131 Ext. 302
Or email us at: weatherization@mccac.com

 

Additional Services Available

Click here to see other resources available In our communities.

Paper note on cardboard saying “Contact Us”

Questions? Contact us.

The Dalles Office

The Gloria Center 2505 W 7th St • The Dalles, OR 97058
Tel: (541) 298-5131 Ext. 206
Email: energy@mccac.com
Weatherization: weatherization@mccac.com

Hood River Office

606 State St., Suite 1B • Hood River, OR 97031
Tel: (541) 298-5131 Ext. 310
Email: energy@mccac.com
Weatherization: weatherization@mccac.com