“Bill No. 357-36 COR received 15 ayes and is duly passed by this body,” says Speaker Therese Terlaje/
Bill 357-36, sponsored and co-sponsored by Speaker Therese Terlaje and Senator Joe San Agustin, respectively, extends the Prugråman Ayuda Para I Taotao-ta energy credit program, which will provide $100 of credit to the accounts of GPA residential master metered and commercial customers for five months– totaling $500 of energy credit from December 2022 to April 2023.
The extension’s funding source comes from the fiscal year 2022 general fund revenues collected in excess of the adopted revenue levels of the FY22 budget act. Bill 357-36, now public law 36-123, will appropriate $26,381,000 to GPA for the relief.
The relief seeks to aid the island community with the increased cost of living, a concern expressed by an outpouring of Guam’s people, according to Speaker Therese Terlaje during December 13th’s regular session.
“I don’t think I need to point out to my colleagues that this is the number one issue that we hear from constituents when we’re out in public, in our offices– wherever we go,” Speaker Terlaje continued, “is that the cost of living is getting difficult for them and power bills, in particular– they are very worried about and worried about their ability to continue to pay those bills.”
Despite the five-month credit, the question remains, how will ratepayers manage once the assistance expires in April?
Hope for more relief may lie in GPA’s assurance of renewable energy sources. However, in the meantime, Acting GPA General Manager Tricee Limtiaco says that GPA is helping ratepayers find ways to conserve and or use their electricity efficiently, in addition to other solutions.
Acting Manager of GPA Tricee Limtiaco says, “We have a rebate program, they come in–actually, they apply online now, and we mail checks out, and so that helps,” she continued, “We have asked GEDA, and we’re talking to GEDA about starting a loan program, so that folks that really can demonstrate the financial need are having a hard time finding the money, they can find some short-term loans to purchase some energy-efficient appliances and other home areas.”
“Hopefully, we’ll be rolling out soon an audit program so we can send energy auditors out to your homes or businesses to help you identify those areas.”
Contact Destiny Cruz | E-mail: destiny@spbguam.com | Phone: 671-477-0790
