January 2026 Net Zero Energy News
Get Help Paying Your Electric Bills with BED’s Energy Assistance Program
As we enter 2026, we remind our customers that BED’s Energy Assistance Program (EAP) provides a 12.5 percent discount to income-qualified customers and encourage them to apply by visiting burlingtonelectric.com/assistance or calling 802.865.7300. Additionally, we are pleased to report that the Vermont Public Utility Commission (PUC) recently approved BED’s request to expand our EAP to allow for enrollment of BED customers that are non-profit housing organizations that provide affordable housing or temporary shelter housing to individuals who meet the EAP income eligibility threshold at or below 185% of the federal poverty level. The program requires that the housing entities receiving 12.5 percent electric bill discounts will pass along the benefits to their residents. Further, income-eligible net metering customers now may enroll in the EAP due to resolution of a billing system challenge.
Upgrade Your Electric Panel
As more Burlingtonians take advantage of BED’s electrification rebates, upgrading your home electric panel may be necessary to support the increased load on your system. Currently, the costs of BED’s services to prepare your home for such an upgrade, including field crew visits to your home to disconnect and reconnect your meter, have been covered in general rates by all ratepayers. BED has asked the PUC to appropriately allocate these costs through a direct fee charged to the property owner benefiting from the service, as part of a broader miscellaneous fee update. In the case of an electric panel upgrade, the proposed fee for the necessary field crew visits to pull and reinstall meters is between $577 and $885, depending on the number of meters and whether the service is above or below ground. BED has asked the PUC to approve these new fees effective March 31, 2026 and, therefore, customers who are considering electric panel upgrades may want to have this work done before the new fees take effect.
While some service fees are increasing or being implemented for the first time, others will be decreasing as part of BED’s PUC request. For example, the fee for performing initial service for a returning BED customer will decrease from $30 to $5, and the fee for a first-time BED customer will decrease from $30 to $15. For a full list of BED’s proposed Miscellaneous Service Fees that have been approved by both the Burlington Board of Finance and City Council and to learn more about the reasoning behind proposed fee changes, please visit burlingtonelectric.com/proposedfees.
BED also is proposing, if the legislature extends the Energy Efficiency Modernization Act (Act 142 of 2024), to include a new program to support income-eligible customers for panel upgrades necessary to support adding heat pumps, electric vehicle charging, or other electrification measures.
Net Zero Energy Podcast
The City’s goal is to reduce, and eventually eliminate, fossil fuel usage. In our BED podcast series, Director of Sustainability Jennifer Green and her guests share ways we all can reduce our energy usage for heating, driving, and everything else we plug in. Please check out our latest episodes, including guests:
- Alicia Taylor, Director of Community Engagement at CarShare Vermont, shares her family’s journey to being car-free.
- Sophia Donforth, Executive Director for Vermont Energy Education Program and New Hampshire Energy Education Program, shares her experiences over the last four years and the many great energy education services offered to schools by VEEP and NHEEP.
- Betsy Lesnikoski, recently retired BED Chief Forester, reflects on the changes and advances she saw over her 42 years with BED.