Oregon Energy Fund
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Mission Statement
Oregon Energy Fund is a statewide nonprofit that assists Oregonians in financial crisis with their energy bills in support of household stability.
About This Cause
Oregon Energy Fund is Oregon's only statewide energy assistance nonprofit. Since 1989, we have provided critical financial assistance to more than 300,000 people in all 36 counties, ensuring low-income families can afford to keep the lights on and their homes at safe temperatures without sacrificing basic needs like rent, food, or medicine. In 2021, OEF distributed funds to 3,802 people, including 1,391 children, 499 seniors, and 384 individuals with disabilities. 1 in 4 Oregon households struggle to pay their energy bills each year, with many thousands spending more than 10% of their annual income on energy costs. Energy insecurity disproportionately affects marginalized communities, especially Black, Latinx, and Native American households, and can result in missed bill payments, utility shutoffs, eviction, illness, and food insecurity. 1 in 5 households sacrifice food, rent, or medicine to pay for energy each year, putting them at high risk of respiratory disease, heart failure, asthma, and malnutrition. Around 5.5 million Americans resort to payday loans to pay their bills annually, often putting them in greater financial jeopardy, and one 2018 survey suggests that up to 3.5 million people became homeless that year because of their bills. At Oregon Energy Fund, we believe no one should be forced to sacrifice basic needs like food, rent, or medical care to pay for energy. We believe that helping struggling Oregonians with a relatively minor cost – household energy bills – can have major positive ramifications on housing security, wellness, and financial stability, ultimately keeping those families in their homes and preventing a slide into poverty. OEF operates a variety of programs to help low-income Oregonians avoid the domino effect that often follows a missed bill, all of which prioritize accessibility and follow more flexible income guidelines than government programs. OEF provides direct energy assistance to around 3,000 people each year, helping to lower their household energy burden, foster healthy living conditions, prevent the need to sacrifice rent or food to pay for energy, and prevent utility shutoffs due to bill nonpayment. These programs also strive to fill the gap left by government energy assistance programs like LIHEAP and OEAP. These programs are only able to help around 17% of energy burdened Oregonians each year, with thousands disqualified due to lack of funding or stringent income requirements. OEF addresses this inequity by accepting applications from clients who earn up to 70% of the statewide median income (a 10% higher margin than LIHEAP or OEAP), and by designing responsive programming for groups with high rates of energy insecurity, including seniors, students, rural residents, people of color, and people with disabilities.