“I’m calling because I don’t know what I am going to do this winter,” she began. “I’m taking care of my grandkids, so money is tight…very tight already…and I just don’t know how I’m going to keep them fed or warm when the cold weather hits.” It’s a little early in the year to receive such a call to 2-1-1, but this is the way many conversations begin once the north winds howl.
How does a person who is already living on a tight budget stay warm when everyday living costs just keep rising?
“New Jersey has some programs that may help you this winter,” our 2-1-1 call specialist responds. “Let’s talk a little bit about your income and the size of your family, because if you are a family of 4 (for example) and make less than $3,975 in gross income each month, you may be eligible for some of the utility assistance programs that have been designed for people in your situation. Has anyone ever spoken to you about programs like this?”
“No, I’ve never heard about anything that would help me pay for heat. How does it work?” the caller inquires.
“Well, there are a few programs that people can use if their income is below a certain percentage of the poverty level…” The specialists at our call centers have been trained to walk people through the maze of human services that are available but often hard to find if you don’t know where to look and so, the caller is given hope and help when she learns about such vital programs as:
The Home Energy Assistance Program which is designed to help very low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills and makes provisions for emergency heating system services and emergency fuel assistance.
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally funded program that usually runs from November 1st - April 30th and provides subsidies every winter to help low income families pay their home heating costs.
The Universal Service Fund (USF) which helps to make energy more affordable for low income customers by lowering the amount you have to pay for natural gas and electricity.
New Jersey Statewide Heating Assistance and Referral Energy Service, Inc. (NJ SHARES),a non-profit corporation organized to provide assistance to individuals and families living in NJ who are in need of temporary help in paying their energy bills. To qualify, a person or family must be facing a financial crisis and not be eligible for welfare.
Lifeline Program, a program that offers $225 to persons who meet the PAAD eligibility requirements or who receive SSI. This credit is available to utility customers as well as tenants whose utility bills are included in their rent. Benefits are limited to electricity and natural gas customers only.
Comfort Partners which is designed to improve energy affordability for income eligible households through the direct installation of energy efficiency measures, personalized customer energy education and counseling.
Call specialists will often follow this part of the conversation with a brief discussion of other ways to save money…always identifying for the caller the local resources that may be available in their community and even encouraging them to turn to family members who may be able to help them through a difficult time.
“Our goal on every call is to offer help in finding tangible assistance that is available to address the current hardship while encouraging callers to think about things that they may be able to do to make their resources go further. That is why when someone calls about not having enough money to pay for heat, we encourage them to look at other ways to cut costs. Very often we end up discussing food and housing programs as well as utility assistance,” explains Laura Marx, executive director of NJ 2-1-1. “We know it is difficult to look for help and we’re glad to be able to offer callers some hope in these trying times.” |
