MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Living in older, substandard housing with a lack of energy efficiency left many of Memphis’ lowest income residents with the highest power bills.
Tamiko Woodall said she knew that feeling of opening up such a bill all to well.
We first introduced Woodall during WREG’s one hour special, Memphis on a Mission, Breaking the Cycle.
She was one of several residents we interviewed with a utility bill that swallowed much of her monthly income.
Several years ago, the Memphis City Council and Memphis, Light, Gas and Water teamed up to address this very issue.
However, the On Your Side Investigators discovered a program created to promote energy efficiency in rentals hasn’t quite held up to its hype.
Woodall showed WREG around her duplex apartment built in the late 1960s.
Gaps near the doors, an extra window unit, and an older air conditioning system could have been a few of the reasons energy was being wasted, leading to her high bill.
“It’s like a struggle to get, to try to really get back on top and really maintain the bill,” explained Woodall.
Woodall wasn’t alone.
WREG learned high bills among some Memphis’ lowest income residents was common.
When we spoke with her recently, she was months behind and accumulated late fees and a balance carry over.
A community service agency was paying a big chunk and MLGW agreed to payment arrangements.
However, there is a program designed to help residents like Woodall.
In 2009, the Memphis City Council passed the MLGW Rental Ordinance.
“It’s meant to help those customers that live in rental properties which is substandard,” said MLGW President Jerry Collins. “Most of the fixes are typically very simple, but they can save a lot of money on your bill.”
When the ordinance was adopted, it was the first of it’s kind in the nation.
The law allowed MLGW to go after landlords who didn’t maintain proper heating, cooling and plumbing, therefore protecting renters from waste and big bills.
It established minimum rental efficiency standards.
“Properties cannot have water leaks, they have to have working heating and air conditioning they have to have a working water heater,” explained Robert Johnston, a supervisor.
The program worked two ways; someone must call the hotline, or MLGW finds the renter through a database created to track consumption in five of the city’s poorest areas.
Those zip codes include: 38106,38107,38108, 38109 and 3811.
Complaints triggered an inspection, and landlords who didn’t comply could be taken to environmental court.
Our cameras followed MLGW during an inspection.
An inspector greeted the renter and they walked through key areas of the home looking for cracks, leaks,= and insulation issues along with several other things.
After the inspection was complete, the inspector told WREG the house needed major work.
“In this house we found there’s not enough attic insulation,” he told our cameras. “We’re going to be recommending that they increase attic insulation and then there’s some problems with the duct work.”
To date no landlords have faced penalties.
MLGW said they’ve all complied.
However, the On Your Side Investigators also discovered, after six years, the program hadn’t quite lived up to its promise.
“It’s helped a lot of people, it’s helped hundreds of people,” said Collines. “But we would like to get to point where it’s helped thousands of people.”
In fact, when the program was created in 2009, Collins predicted the utility would conduct thousands of inspections per year.
The On Your Side Investigators found it hasn’t even come close.
WREG obtained a break down of calls and inspections for the MLGW Rental Ordinance Program.
Rental Ordinance Program Summary
There have only been 623 inspections.
The first two years were the busiest, with MLGW inspecting more than 300 rental properties.
Those mainly came from the database.
However in 2011, the numbers bottomed out at only 13 inspections.
The highest since was last year at 140 inspections.
Also, after year two, MLGW didn’t identify anyone through its database.
“Many renters are afraid to ask for our help,” explained Collins.
He said if tenants were already in a bind, they feared retaliation from the landlord.
“But that shouldn’t happen. If there’s a problem, we ought to fix the problem and move on,” added Collins.
Another issue could be staffing.
The same 10 technicians handled inspections for several programs.
According to MLGW, from 2011 to 2013, it used grant money to make energy efficient upgrades to nearly 900 local homes.
A supervisor told WREG during that time it “focused on grant work and did not promote or perform as many rental ordinance calls.”
Lack of awareness was a problem too.
Many we spoke to said they had never heard of the program.
“It’s a need that we need to meet and whatever it takes to meet that need, we’re going to do it,” Collins said
We had Woodall call the rental ordinance hotline.
MLGW was out for an inspection less than a week later with recommendations for her landlord.
“Now it’s up to my landlord to fix everything so I am really, really excited about what’s about to happen,” she later said.
WREG asked MLGW if it tracked before/after usage and bills of customers who have had repairs made.
It did not.
We also asked if it kept track of landlords it repeatedly sent letters to for violations.
A spokesperson said MLGW didn’t keep track of that either.
When the program was created, news articles stated MLGW would be notifying customers via a mailer in their bills.
WREG couldn’t get a copy of that specific letter or advertisement.
“We use a variety of means to inform our customers, including disseminating the Customer Handbook,” a spokesperson said.
MLGW also said customers can find brochures on the program in its community offices.
We found this blurb about the program on page four of an electronic copy of the handbook supplied by MLGW:
“Rental Housing Ordinance: 528-4188
A program for tenants that allows MLGW technicians to identify and enforce energy-related issues.
MLGW becomes an advocate for the tenant during the process and ultimately can take the
landlord to Environmental Court if energy issues are not addressed in an expeditious manner.”
There was also a mention on MLGW’s website under important numbers.
To schedule an inspection call 322-5757.
Customers who have had trouble paying their bill may also qualify for other assistance programs.
Check out other energy efficiency tools, here, including a way for homeowners to schedule a free, in-home energy audit.
