On November 27, 2022, Versant Power announced Power Match, a charitable matching program to provide electricity bill assistance to customers in need. Through Versant’s partnership with Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP), Penquis, and Downeast Community Partners (DCP), over $50,000 in electricity bill credits have been provided to customers in need as of April 2023.
"The Team at ACAP is so appreciative of the partnership with Versant Power allowing us to meet a growing community need. This has been a challenging time for so many households in our community and through this partnership we are able to assist those who are need of support. To hear the relief in someone’s voice when you tell them that we are able to assist is so rewarding. This partnership has provided us the ability to lift that weight for households of all shapes and sizes in our community." Sherry Locke, Director of Advancement at Aroostook County Action Program (ACAP).
In November, Versant agreed to match all donations up to $200,000 to Power Match and provided an additional $60,000 seed fund. Of the $60,000 seed fund, each community action program received $20,000. The matching fund amount of $200,000 will be distributed amongst the three programs based on donations received through their individual donation portals. As of April 1, $7,550 has been donated to Power Match, bringing the total donations with Versant’s matching commitment to $15,100.
“When we committed to supporting our neighbors back in November, we knew there was a need for this kind of assistance,” said Kendra Overlock, Vice President, Customer Operations at Versant Power. “Our local agency partners have been instrumental in administering Power Match funds where they are needed, especially for those who were struggling to make ends meet this winter.”
Many customers within Versant Power’s service area do not qualify for low-income assistance based on income eligibility guidelines, but still need help with utility bills. Power Match reduces this gap by providing bill credits to customers who exceed income eligibility guidelines for programs such as the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), but still require emergency assistance.
ACAP, Penquis, and DCP determined who should receive bill credits under eligibility guidelines they established and shared those details with Versant Power, who credited customers’ bills with an amount determined by the community action program.
Power Match has additional funds available for those in need of electricity bill assistance. For more information and to find out if you qualify for Power Match, please contact your local community action program.
To donate, please visit https://www.versantpower.com/community/power-match/. You can also follow Versant Power on Twitter (@versantpower), Instagram (versantpower) or LinkedIn for updates.
Versant Power is committed to delivering safe, reliable electric service. As the state's second-largest electric utility, the company delivers electricity to more than 165,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers across 10,400 square miles in northern and eastern Maine.
