Illinois State Public Benefit Funds for Rate Assistance

Effective 1998, the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (SLEAF) was authorized through electric utility restructuring legislation. The law directed gas and electric utilities (participation by municipal utilities and electric cooperatives is optional) to assess a monthly charge of $0.40 per month on each residential electric service account and $0.40 per month on residential gas service accounts, plus higher amounts for commercial and industrial accounts. The utilities collect the charges from customers (about $76 million yearly), and deposit them into a state fund, which the General Assembly then appropriates yearly to the state LIHEAP and weatherization grantee. About 80 percent of the fund goes for low-income bill payment assistance and 10 percent supplements the state's weatherization program. Annual SLEAF funding for bill payment assistance has averaged about $65 million annually. See electric utility restructuring legislation.

Note: Leveraging reports do not always give a complete statewide picture. Some resources are not reported through leveraging or are under reported.

LEVERAGING

2006: $46.4 million
2005: $54.6 million
2004: $65 million
2003: $61.4 million
2002: $65 million
2001: $62.2 million
2000: $65.2 million
1999: $62.3 million

Page Last Updated: April 16, 2007