Amanda's life has always been a delicate balance. Born with muscular dystrophy, she depends on several essential devices—a ventilator, aspirator, oxygen concentrator, and breathing treatments. Each of these machines needs a reliable power source. So, when her power goes out, Amanda's family must quickly find another way to keep these life-giving machines running.
"We have many fires here every summer which can cause outages," said Amanda's mom and caregiver, Merlie. "And we must go to a hotel with all our machines and supplies during a power outage."
Wildfires are just one cause of outages in the Inland Northwest. While Avista crews will work to restore power as quickly and safely as possible, it's essential to plan in case power restoration takes longer than usual.
"We're always working with our most vulnerable clients to ensure they are safe during outages," said Aging and Long-term Care of Eastern Washington Executive Director Lynn Kimball.
In early 2023, recognizing this growing need caused by an increase in severe weather events, Avista partnered with Aging and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington to develop a Customer Outage, Health and Safety pilot program. The pilot came to life that summer.
From June through August 2023, representatives from Avista and Long-Term Care of Eastern Washington visited participants in their homes, delivering a backup power battery, solar panel kit and a portable air conditioner.
"We've worked with Avista for many years," said Lynn. "We're always looking at what resources we can bring into the homes of the people we serve. For us, the pilot program was a great opportunity to help people have more peace of mind and get access to something they wouldn't be able to purchase for themselves."
Avista funded the entire project with its Named Communities Investment Fund (NCIF). The competitive grant program is part of Avista's commitment to Washington's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA).
"When we think about our community, it's really important for us at Avista to make that special effort to help customers who need extra care," said Avista Energy Efficiency Program Manager Ana Matthews. "It is the right thing to do and it's who we are."
Ninety-six people participated in the project. All depended on medical equipment that required electricity and met a specific income level. Many people in the pilot were over 65 years old.
Those who participated in the program could keep the equipment for free.
"Many clients benefited right away from the batteries," said Gwendolyn Miller, an Aging and Long-term Care representative who visited participants in their homes. "The relief of not having to worry about what they would do in an emergency made an impact.
"One client said, 'I panicked before, but now it's a big relief,'" continued Gwendolyn. "We had other clients who were so relieved to have this battery in their homes that they began to cry."
Avista surveyed participants one year after the program to learn how the equipment was working. The results were impressive. Satisfaction with the equipment rose from 86% in six months to 93% after one year. Home visits also had a lasting impact, with everyone completely satisfied.
"It was a great team," said Ana. "The Avista employee knew the technical details, and the social worker understood the needs of the people we were helping."
For Merlie, the program has provided comfort and relief as she cares for Amanda. "I feel more prepared," said Merlie. "We are so grateful to have been selected for the program. We utilized it immediately, which has been a Godsend for the last two summers."
If you're an Avista customer and someone in your home has medical needs that require electricity, please contact Avista. Visit myavista.com/medicalequipment or call Avista's CARES team at (800) 227-9187 to be added to the list of customers who may receive extra notifications during an extended outage. Customers with in-home equipment that requires electricity to sustain human life might be eligible for additional support from Avista.
Avista's Named Communities Investment Fund (NCIF) was approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission as part of the company's Clean Energy Implementation Plan (CEIP) to meet compliance targets for the state's Clean Energy Transformation Act (CETA, 2019). The NCIF will invest up to $5 million annually in projects, programs, and initiatives that benefit Avista's Washington electric customers residing in highly impacted and vulnerable communities (i.e., "Named Communities"). Community-based projects will be selected for funding through a competitive grant application process. Application information and eligibility guidelines can be found at myavista.com/NCIF.
Visit myavista.com/medicalequipment or call Avista's CARES team at (800) 227-9187 to be added to the list of customers who may receive extra notifications during an extended outage.
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