Los Alamos utilities office outlines donation-funded assistance program, eligibility and disconnection rules

Joanne Gentry, deputy utility manager of finance and administration for the Department of Public Utilities, presented the county's Utilities Assistance Program to the Inclusivity Advisory Council, describing how the program is funded, who qualifies and how assistance is calculated.

The program is "designed to aid our low income residential customers here in Los Alamos County," Gentry said. It is funded entirely by voluntary donations from utility customers and residents, she said, and the department manages the fund and allocates payments to qualifying households.

Gentry said the program provides three types of help: winter assistance (October through March), year-round assistance for Supplemental Security Income recipients, and one-time hardship assistance. "We can give up to $350, once a year to different individuals," she said. For winter assistance the council heard the department uses a 50%-of-median threshold: with a recalculated median household income of $143,188, the 50% cutoff is $71,005.94. The council was told the program recently raised its per-account minimum donation credit from $17 to $20 and its maximum payment from $138 to $158 for both winter and year-round assistance.

Gentry explained how amounts are calculated: for winter and year-round assistance the program averages a household's prior winter electric, gas, water and sewer costs, takes 30% of that amount and rounds up; that figure is applied for the six-month winter period or, for eligible SSI recipients, year-round.

She gave fiscal-year figures: the program assisted about $26,529 in fiscal 2025 and received roughly $32,868 in donations; the fund balance at the end of fiscal 2025 was $26,013. Gentry said the program helped 86 customers in fiscal 2025. She also listed outside resources the department refers customers to, including the state Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), LA Cares and the county Social Services Office. Gentry said LIHEAP contributed about $5,800 and LA Cares contributed about $26,831 to assist local customers in fiscal 2025.

On how members of the public can give, Gentry said residents can add a recurring donation on their utility bill, make a one-time contribution, or buy department merchandise that channels proceeds to the fund. She described an online form staff can use to add a monthly donation to a customer's account so it appears on the utility bill.

Council members asked about operational details. James (committee member) asked how UAP compares with LIHEAP and other local programs; Gentry said UAP is managed in-house by the Department of Public Utilities and can often be processed more quickly at the window, while state and other programs have separate approval processes. In response to a question about a potential spike in need during government furloughs or layoffs, Gentry said the utility and the UAP would work with customers using one-time assistance or payment arrangements, and noted the utility maintains budgetary reserves and plans for uncollectible accounts.

Gentry summarized the disconnection process: customers have about 25 days from the bill date to pay; on the 30th day the utility mails a past-due letter, then typically places a courtesy phone call about a week later. If payment is not made, staff issues a door tag; customers have seven days from the door tag to pay, and disconnects generally occur on the eighth day. She said the utility issues about 30 or more door tags weekly and typically disconnects between one and 10 customers each week; most disconnected customers are reconnected the same day once payment arrangements are made.

Gentry said winter-moratorium protections apply to customers who qualify for winter assistance and are current as of Nov. 15: "we are unable to disconnect them until after March 15 of the following year," she said, adding the department uses the Public Regulation Commission's winter-moratorium approach as guidance though it does not formally follow PRC rules.

The council asked whether the program collects demographic information about those who receive assistance. Gentry said the department does not collect demographic or household-level data beyond what is needed for account processing, though it can provide counts such as number of door tags or disconnects by area.

When asked why the county does not contribute to the fund, Gentry pointed to state anti-donation laws. "We are unable to put any money in there because it falls into that state law for anti donation," she said. She clarified UAP funds come from customers and donors, are held in a utilities fund, and are allocated directly to customers without administrative charges.

Council members also asked about fees linked to disconnection and reconnection. Gentry said a delivered door tag carries a $25 fee; customers on the advanced metering infrastructure (AMI) system can be remotely reconnected for a $10 reconnection fee, a reduction from prior field-reconnect costs.

Votes at a glance: during the meeting the council approved the meeting agenda, approved minutes from the prior meeting and adjourned by voice vote; these were procedural motions recorded in the transcript and passed without recorded dissents.

The presentation concluded without any formal changes to UAP policy; Gentry said program limits or eligibility can be changed but would require a proposal to and approval by the Board of Public Utilities and revisions to the department rules (she referenced rule GR-13).