Electric bill relief through rebates

After an eight-year bribery investigation by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), eligible Illinois residents will see rebates on their April 2023 electricity bills.

The ICC has ruled that the utility company Commonwealth Edison must pay $38million to its customers.

ComEd paid a $200million fine to settle the federal investigation in 2020.

From the $38million pot, $31million will be directly refunded to customers as restitution while $7million will be allocated for customers through a “federal regulatory process,” according to the ICC.

Help for single parents

At least 110 residents in Shreveport, Louisiana are receiving 110 $660 monthly payments for a year.

To get the payments, a resident in the city must be a single parent, with an income 120 percent below the federal poverty line.

The city defines a single parent as a mother, father, stepparent, grandparent, caregiver, or legal guardian with a school-age child.

The child needs to be at least three years old and less than 20 years old as of August 2021.

Also, the city said if you are unmarried, you cannot be living with a partner.

New Jersey payments went out

The first batch of ANCHOR Property tax relief payments were rolled out Tuesday.

The funds were available to New Jersey residents who opted to get their money by direct deposit.

That means more than 8,000 have already went out.

“At a time when families are facing increasing pressure on their wallets, it’s a good feeling to know we are following through on our promise to make New Jersey more affordable,” Governor Phil Murphy said in a statement.

The ANCHOR Program expanded the state’s Homestead Benefit property tax relief program as it now applies to renters.

The income threshold has also been extended for eligible homeowners.

Federal EV Rebate

The Inflation Reduction Act introduced a host of EV rebates that went into effect on January 1.

These rebates have an income cap of $150,000 for individuals to qualify for as much as $7,500.

Meanwhile, those filing as head-of-household have a limit of $225,000, which rises to $300,00 for joint filers.

Rebates are also available for used vehicles for as much as $7,500.

The tax break won’t be available for anyone who bought a van, sport utility vehicle, or pickup truck that cost more than $80,000, or any other type of vehicle that is more than $55,000.

On January 1, 2024, a new rule will go into effect that will allow the buyer to get a $7,500 discount on the price of the car at the time of purchase.

More Oregon rebates

The Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program offers the following rebates to residents who purchase, lease or already own EVs:

• $750 for a zero-emission motorcycle
• up to $2,500 for electric cars

Some low-income residents may qualify for as much as $7,500.

Central Lincoln customers can get a $250 rebate when they purchase and install a charging station.

The Emerald People’s Utility District offers a $100 rebate when you register a new or used electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid.

Meanwhile, customers of the Eugene Water & Electric Board can claim $500 for installing a qualified charging station.

Oregon pauses its rebate

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced the rebate for purchasing electric vehicles will be temporarily suspended starting May 1.

The department advised residents to buy a vehicle by the deadline and apply for the rebate within six months, according to a press release.

Residents were being awarded rebates of between $2,500 and $5,000 for cars, depending on income.

The program had a budget of $15.5million, which officials expect to be depleted in the next two months.

Once that happens, eligible applications will go on a waiting list to be paid out in early 2024 when the DEQ gets its next allotment.