Ameren Missouri pumps $3.5M into energy assistance funds for customers

Building on $1 million of funding support announced in March, Ameren Missouri intends to put up $3.5 million to help customers pay off utility bill balances, including $3 million for its COVID-19 Clean Slate Program.

The Clean Slate program was designed to help customers pay off past-due utility bills. It will unite community partners and agencies to administer the program, and aid income-eligible customers clear the balances on their account after paying 25 percent of its current balance. Ameren will announce the options for the remaining $500,000 later this year.

“There are a lot of Missouri families struggling right now and having to make some tough financial decisions in light of this pandemic—we get that and we want to help,” Marty Lyons, chairman and president of Ameren Missouri, said. “Our COVID-19 Clean Slate program is similar to one we had following the economic crisis in 2009, which helped thousands of Missourians pay off their energy bills. With so many customers in need today, we felt it was important to bring back the program, which is why we worked closely with the Missouri Office of the Public Council to make this happen.”

Funding through the Clean Slate program is now available to any eligible to apply. Ameren Missouri expects it will benefit as many as 9,000 households.

Beyond this, Ameren has donated 1,000 energy efficient air conditioners and 1,000 packs of LED light bulbs, along with $500,000, to Cooldownstlouis.org and Cooldownmissouri.org to get them to at-risk families and seniors. On average, the air conditioners will cost less than a dollar a day to operate. The company also has extended suspension of service disconnections and late fees until at least July 1.