Published: October 08, 2008 11:01 am         

Winter warmth

Help with utility bills available

As the mercury drops lower, officials are reminding Hoosiers that there is help available for those who might have trouble paying their winter heat bills.

Indiana has a record $106 million available, twice what it had available last year.

Last winter, the state’s program helped more than 159,000 utility customers, and officials are predicting that number will rise this year as higher heating costs combine with a slumping economy to make this an especially difficult season.

The $106 million in aid includes $103.7 million in federal assistance — about twice the $51.8 million basic grant received for last winter. The state also has $2.5 million remaining from a contingency fund last year.

Of course, the assistance won’t cover the whole bill. Vectren North, Citizens Gas and Northern Indiana Public Service Co. all expect gas prices to be higher this season. Citizens, for example, told its 266,000 Indianapolis-area customers to expect to pay $939 for average use from November through March, compared to $781 they would have spent over the same five months last season.

NIPSCO’s winter warmth program will provide qualifying customers with up to $450 in annual energy assistance.

Under the state program, help is available to those earning 150 percent of the federal poverty level, but NIPSCO’s program increases that to 200 percent. To qualify for the program, a family of four could earn up to $42,400, while a single person would have to have an income of no more than $20,800.

The aid is paid directly to the utility, acting as a credit on a household’s account. A utility cannot shut off heat to people in the program from Dec. 1 through March 15, giving low-income residents extra security even if they cannot pay their bills.

Still, the time to apply for help is now — before cold weather strikes. If you meet the guidelines, give the agency in your area a call.



Where to go

• In Carroll County: Area IV Agency, 901 Prince William Road, Delphi, (765) 564-6466

• In Cass County: Area Five Agency on Aging & Community Services, 1801 Smith St., Logansport, (574) 722-4451

• In Fulton County: United Ministries Outreach Program, 625 Pontiac St., Rochester, (574) 223-4802

• In Miami County: Miami County Helping Hands, 65 S. Miami St., Peru, (765) 472-1875

• In Pulaski County: Pulaski County Human Services, 115 W. Pearl St., Winamac, (574) 946-6500

• In White County: Area IV Agency, 116 E. Marion, Monticello, (574) 583-6048