EPHRATA — The Grant County Public Utility District is now considering an electricity rate discount for low-income senior citizens that would take effect this fall.

The district's board of commissioners will gather public input on the proposed rate discount during their regular Monday meeting July 24, at the Ephrata headquarters building. Following public input the commissioners plan to take final action on the proposed discount July 31.

Public utilities are authorized by state law to provide billing discounts for low-income senior citizens.

Local assistance agencies, including the state Department of Social and Health Services, North Columbia Community Action Council and Moses Lake Food Bank have been encouraging the utility throughout the last year to explore providing a rate discount to seniors.

District officials said that while Grant County has some of the lowest electrical rates in the nation, they recognize financial pressures experienced by some within the senior citizen population.

In response, the district is proposing a 20 percent rate discount to qualifying low-income senior citizens, which is designed to help alleviate costs for essential electrical services for this customer group, district officials said. If passed, by commission vote, the rate discount would become effective November 1.

The district has proposed two eligibility requirements.

First, ratepayers must be at least 62 years old. If the age requirement is met, applicants must have a total household income — including any spouse or co-tenants — equaling 125 percent of federal poverty level guidelines, or lower. Those guidelines are published each year by the federal Department of Health and Human Services.

Income levels for a one person household could not exceed $12,250, under the proposal, while for two people it would be $16,500. The household income for three people under the new proposal and recent federal poverty guidelines could not exceed $20,750, while four people would have to remain under $25,000.

Other public utilities in Washington already have programs similar to the district's current proposal. Chelan County Public Utility District has about 1,000 senior-citizen ratepayers benefiting from a discount. Grant County PUD officials expect to have slightly more than 1,000 receiving the discounted rate, if passed by the commission.

Senior citizens interested in the discounted rate need to schedule an appointment with the community action council in October. The community action council determines whether applicants qualify. Once qualified, the district would apply the discount on the following billing cycle.

"We really tried to make it as simple as we could," district customer service manager Debbie Lowe said Tuesday.

Discounts will only be applied to ratepayers' primary residential service.

Applicants for the discount will be encouraged to accept a home energy audit. The service is free and seeks to make ratepayers' homes more energy efficient.

This week the utility district plans to advertise the proposed rate discount in local newspapers. There is also information available at the district's Web site, www.gcpud.org.