CenterPoint TDU Reports 75% of REP Low-Income Smart Energy Device Reimbursement Funds Exhausted

CenterPoint Energy Houston Electric (CEHE) reported that it expects it will have soon exhausted 75% of funds designated to reimburse retail electric providers for providing free programmable communicating thermostats and in-home displays (collectively, in-home devices) to low-income customers

CEHE informed the Public Utility Commission of Texas that it anticipates that 75% of its designated funds under the program will be reimbursed once the invoices received in May 2016 for devices deployed in April 2016 are paid.

As of May 2, 2016, approximately $2.1 million is available for reimbursement to the REPs.

Originally, $7.5 million was available in the CEHE service area under the reimbursement program

Under the program launched in January 2015, for providing an eligible low-income customer with an eligible programmable communicating thermostat (PCT) or in-home display (IHD) at no cost to the customer, a TDU reimburses the REP for the cost of a device up to a cap of $250, with an additional 25% for administrative costs, for a total reimbursement cap of $300 per device. For PCTs only, an additional $125 is reimbursed to cover the cost of installation.