When Maria sat down at her kitchen table and opened the electric bill last autumn, she felt the familiar knot of worry settle in her stomach.In her home, three generations share that table. Maria and her husband live with their two children and Maria’s parents, a busy household where everyone contributes to making things work. But when her daughter broke her arm over the summer, she found herself facing a lot of unexpected medical bills and a difficult choice.

“I kept looking at the numbers and thinking, ‘How are we going to make this work?’” she told us.

She decided to pay the medical bills and defer the electric bill, hoping she could catch it up the next month. But when the next bill arrived, she found herself falling even further behind.

Maria knew she needed help and reached out right away, before missed payments could lead to a shutoff.

Through our network of community partners, Maria received emergency energy assistance that allowed her to catch up on her utility bill and even enroll in her utility company’s discount program.

“It was such a relief,” she said. “Just knowing someone was there to help made a huge difference.”

Stories like Maria’s happen every day across Oregon. Energy assistance doesn’t just keep the lights on. It helps families stay safe, stable, and focused on what matters most: their children, their health, and their future.

Energy insecurity is a year-round challenge.

For many households, energy bills are one of the most difficult expenses to manage because they fluctuate throughout the year.

Even mild winters mean higher energy bills for warmth and extra lighting during the longer nights. Rising summer temperatures can make cooling a home expensive and not cooling it dangerous, especially for seniors, families with young children, and people with health conditions. In spring and fall, households are often still trying to catch up from difficult months behind them.

For families who are just getting by, these small increases in utility costs can push them into crisis.

Oregon Energy Fund is here to help families stay safe, stable, and connected to the power they need every day. Your support makes that possible.