The San Francisco Utility Assistance Program
The San Francisco utility assistance program is run and operated by a number of entities among them the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. Throughout San Francisco’s municipal facilities, the Energy Efficiency team has assisted City departments with building-by-building energy efficiency improvement. In addition to energy audits of existing buildings to identify potential savings, the company offers energy retrofit services (San Francisco weatherization assistance programs) performed by specialized contractors as well as commissioning and design assistance for Green Building projects as well as benchmarking energy performance for municipal buildings in San Francisco.
Program Details
The San Francisco utility assistance program is available to residents of all nine (9) counties located within the San Francisco Bay Area. Home Upgrade was developed specifically for homeowners within the Bay Area and implemented by local county governments.
In order to improve energy efficiency, homeowners can work with a Home Advisor to identify energy efficiency improvements. Home Advisors can help homeowners develop an energy efficiency improvement plan. This can help tune up their homes to ensure they are energy-efficient.
The federal government offers rebates and incentives on a wide range of home improvements, including the sealing of air ducts and sealing of attics, attic insulation, high-efficiency furnaces, cooling systems, and water systems, as well as wall insulation.
A major responsibility of SF Environment is marketing Home Upgrade to single-family homeowners in San Francisco (for example, providing no-cost workshops as well as using social media to promote Home Upgrade).
To help multifamily owners (5 units) lower the cost of energy efficiency upgrades, Energy Upgrade California in San Francisco offers a $750 rebate per unit in rebates. It also provides technical assistance, support, and advice to assist them in implementing the improvement. Using this program, owners are able to choose the installer that best suits their needs and receive a rebate once the upgrades are completed.
Financial Assistance to Pay Bills
Learn where to go in San Francisco to get your hands on free or low-cost housing resources (including help with your mortgage, rent, security deposit, and utility bills). Help for low-income families comes from a variety of sources, including churches, the government’s Human Services office, and NGOs. Free food, clothing, rides, help to find work or credit, and other services are also offered. Help for the working poor and immigrants is available in a variety of languages, including Chinese and Japanese.
As part of its charitable work, both the city and county do give away free stuff. In addition, many organizations provide free services such as job placement services, school supplies, computers, and even Christmas presents to children. The following information is provided on transitional housing in San Francisco County, SNAP food stamps, and work-from-home jobs for residents of San Francisco County with a low income.
Eligibility
As long as all of your pending applications are eligible, you will be contacted by an intake worker. Please make sure that you upload your latest income documents, lease agreement, personal identification, and rent ledger via your SF ERAP confirmation email to expedite the application process, as wait times are averaging one month or more. The community partners listed under the partner’s section of the website can assist you with this process if you need help.
