Vermont offers the lowest low-income electric discount in its region — while mandating electrification
New Hampshire discounts low-income bills up to 86%. Massachusetts offers 64%. Connecticut offers 50%. Vermont's largest utility offers 25%, and its second-largest offers 12.5%. Vermont is asking low-income households to shift heating costs onto their electric bills while providing the least assistance to absorb that shift.
Maximum LI electric discount by state
Vermont utility discount programs
Green Mountain Power
Energy Assistance Program
25%
Flat discount on energy + customer charges. Eligibility: ≤185% FPL. Includes one-time arrearage forgiveness. Reaches ~25% of eligible customers.
Burlington Electric
EAP
12.5%
Flat discount. Only 4.3% of customers enrolled. 14% of BED customers receive disconnection notices — 3× the enrollment rate.
VT Electric Cooperative
ARPA-funded discount
Varies
365 participating customers. ARPA-funded — temporary program that expires when federal funds are exhausted.
No PIPP program
Vermont does not offer PIPP
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Vermont has no percentage-of-income payment program. Illinois caps LI bills at 6% of income. Pennsylvania caps at a percentage of income. Vermont has no equivalent.
12.5–25%
Range of Vermont's LI electric discounts. New Hampshire's range is 5–86%. Massachusetts' tiered system reaches 64%. Vermont's discounts are a fraction of its neighbors'.
6%
Proposed energy burden threshold for Vermont (VT DPS recommendation). Illinois already caps LI bills at 6% of income by statute. Vermont is studying whether to adopt a similar standard.
Vermont assistance programs currently use inconsistent income eligibility standards ranging from 30% to 200% of federal poverty level or 80% of statewide median income. Most states have standardized at 200% FPL or 60% SMI.
VT PUC, Docket 25-0443-INV (Act 142 Investigation). Multi-state comparison data from PUC investigation filings.
Sources: NH discount (up to 86%) — VT PUC Docket 25-0443-INV, PUC comparative analysis (NH utility-specific filings report tiered range of 5–85%; the PUC's summary states 86%). MA discount (64%) — VT PUC investigation, composite effective discount for lowest-income tier. CT discount (50%) — VT PUC investigation + United Illuminating LIAP filing. GMP 25% — pipeline data, GMP EAP program filings. BED 12.5% — pipeline data, high-confidence item. VEC 365 customers — pipeline data, high-confidence item. 6% burden threshold — VT DPS proposal, Docket 25-0443-INV. Eligibility inconsistency (30–200% FPL) — VT PUC investigation filing.