Heating help harder to come by this winter

A cold winter, bad economy and a funding shortfall in low income energy assistance make a triple whammy for Flathead Electric Cooperative customers.

Those in need of help with their electric and other utility bills are suffering from a 47-percent reduction in the Low Income Energy Assistance Program this year.

In addition to that, what funding there is was delayed 13 weeks because Congress didn’t approve the budget on time, said Kim DeWitt, energy programs manager at the Human Resources Council/Community Action Partnership in Kalispell.

The federal government has re-authorized full funding, but DeWitt is not sure when it will arrive.

In the meantime, some needy customers are left without the ability to pay their electric bills.

There are a lot more applicants because of the economy, said Wendy Ostrom-Price, Flathead Electric spokeswoman.

There were 5,000 applicants for the program last season, which ran from Oct. 1, 2009, to April 30, 2010.

As of Oct. 1, 2010, there already were 4,000 applicants, Ostrom-Price said.

“So many people either put off applying or don’t pay on time, then they get put into disconnect status,” she said.

She encourages people to make payment arrangements before their service is disconnected.

A credit and collections supervisor with Flathead Electric said that there were 207 customers disconnected from service from October through December 2010, compared to 141 during the same months in 2009.

At the same time, the available funding for assistance declined.

From Oct. 1, 2010, to Jan. 12 this year, 315 people received $102,000 in LIEAP funding.

During the same period a year before, 535 people received $369,000 in help.

Energy assistance money is available based on a sliding scale. Factors include: the number of people in the home, income, and the type of fuel, i.e. natural gas, propane, electric, oil and wood.

Under the income guidelines, a family of four can make no more than $44,100 per year to qualify. One person can make no more than $21,660; two people, $29,140; and three people, $36,620.

People interested in applying for assistance can call 758-5433 or get applications from Community Action Partnership at 214 N. Main St. in Kalispell.