FSS Newsletter :: November 2003

Home Energy Assistance Program Helps Pay Winter Heating Bills

No matter how you heat your home, estimates are that it will cost you even more than it did last year. Simple suggestions to reduce your usage and bills are included in with your monthly utility statements or you can call the Ohio Consumer’s Counsel at 1-877-742-5622.

Help is available for households at or below 150% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines (for example, $27,600 for a 4-person household). The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps low income households reduce their heating expenses during the winter months.

Emergency HEAP helps those households who have lost their home heat, or are threatened with the loss of heat. HEAP applications are now available and Emergency HEAP assistance is available from November 3, 2003 until March 31, 2004. Eligible households can apply for both, but only once every winter. In Tuscarawas County, the HEAP program is operated by Harcatus CAO. You can either contact them at their New Philadelphia office at (330) 364-7525 or the main office in Dennison at (740) 922-0933 in order to get further information on the application process.

Additionally, for the 19th consecutive year, the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO) recently ordered Ohio’s natural gas and electric utility companies to reconnect or maintain winter heating service to customers who have been disconnected or threatened with disconnection due to nonpayment of a utility bill.

Under the plan, ordered by the PUCO each year since 1984, utility customers whose service has been or may be disconnected due to non-payment can have their service restored or maintained in time for winter if they pay the amount in default or $175, whichever is less, plus a service reconnection fee of no more than $20. Ohio’s natural gas and electric utility companies must reconnect service on the same day if payment is made before 12:30 p.m. or the following day if payment is made after 12:30 p.m.