Yingling Supports Legislation to Expand Energy Assistance for Low-Income Families

ROUND LAKE BEACH, Ill. – As part of his efforts to keep money in the pockets of working families, state Rep. Sam Yingling, D-Grayslake, helped pass legislation that would expand the Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP).

“With many families stretched financially thin, we need to ensure we are providing opportunities to residents to lower the cost of their bills,” said Yingling. “The PIPP program is a great resource for low-income individuals to get some relief, and it is important that we are making every effort to advertise this program and make it as accessible as possible.”

The PIPP program is an energy assistance program that lowers the energy bills of participants to be no more than 6% of their income. With the number of families that PIPP could be of assistance to, Yingling supported Senate Bill 265, which removes provisions tying funds to service areas and expands application priority to households with children under the age of 6 years old, among other provisions aimed at increasing funding and participation in the program.

Throughout his time in the General Assembly, Yingling has fought to lower utility bill costs for his constituents. He introduced legislation that would prohibit unregulated utility companies from misleading residents into buying unnecessary services by using logos of regulated utility companies. Yingling also regularly holds Citizen Utility Board Utility Clinics in his district, which help residents identify unnecessary charges that can help them cut down on their utility costs.

“No one should be paying more for utilities than they need to be, whether it’s due to not participating in programs to cut costs or because they are paying unnecessarily high rates,” said Yingling. “I will continue to explore all avenues to keep utility costs down and help residents save their hard-earned dollars.”