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Florida Agriculture Commissioner Launches New Program To Cut Down On Low-Income Families' Energy Bills

Young women worried about bills and debt stacking up. She sits on her couch, holding her head and staring at bills on the ground and in her lap.
Thomas
/
Adobe Stock
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried announced today the new Florida Counties Low-Income Residential Energy Efficient Grant Program. It's an initiative to help reduce energy bills for low-income residents.

Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner is rolling out a new program to help reduce energy bills for low-income families. Commissioner Nikki Fried says these families often pay higher bills due to having older appliances or older homes.

"Low-income families often face disproportionate energy challenges, and people of color experience energy burdens three times higher than other consumers. This severely impacts the financial wellbeing of our residents and our state," Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says.

She's hoping to help cut down on high energy costs some low-income families face. Her department reports lower-wage earners often have older appliances, resulting in more power needed to run them and higher bills. To address this Fried is launching the Florida Counties Low-Income Residential Energy Efficient Grant Program. It will fund energy-efficient projects created by counties for low-income people. A total of $1 million will be given out.

Robbie Gaffney graduated from Florida State University with degrees in Digital Media Production and Creative Writing. Before working at WFSU, they recorded FSU’s basketball and baseball games for Seminole Productions as well as interned for the PBS Station in Largo, Florida. Robbie loves playing video games such as Shadow of the Colossus, Animal Crossing, and Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles. Their other hobbies include sleeping and watching anime.