Beginning June 1, Energy Trust of Oregon will be implementing new income eligibility guidelines and requirements for all income-based programs.
What is changing?
Energy Trust will transition from using State Median Income (SMI) thresholds to Area Median Income (AMI) thresholds for all income-based programs on June 1, including:
- Community Partner Funding (CPF)—no-cost offerings only
- In-Home Energy Services (IES)
- Manufactured Home Replacement (MHR)
- Savings Within Reach (SWR)
SMI is the income level at which half of households earn more and half earn less at the state level, whereas AMI is determined at the county level. Energy Trust currently uses 120% SMI as the maximum threshold for income-qualified programs and 60% SMI for no-cost offers. Starting June 1, Energy Trust will use 150% AMI as the maximum threshold for income-qualified programs and 80% AMI for no-cost offers through CPF and IES.
| Impacted offerings | Maximum thresholds | |
|---|---|---|
| Current | Starting June 1 | |
| No-cost (IES, CPF) | <60% SMI | <80% AMI |
| Moderate income (IES, MHR, SWR) | <120% SMI | <150% AMI |
Why is this changing?
Switching to AMI will improve Energy Trust’s ability to more equitably serve customers with our income-based offers. Because AMI is determined on a county-by-county basis, it better accounts for economic variation among regions. Many existing partners of Energy Trust and other programs already use AMI to determine customer eligibility. This transition will make combining various funding streams more seamless for trade allies, community partners and customers.
What’s next?
Updated income tables and forms for all affected programs will be distributed soon. Account managers will provide these materials to trade allies, while regional outreach managers will share them with community-based organizations. The new tables and forms will also be published in an upcoming Insider article. Please note that these updated documents must be used for any project with a completed install date of June 1, 2026 or later. If you have questions before the materials are released, please reach out to your regional outreach manager or account manager.