Oregon Public Broadcasting

Record use of electricity and natural gas during the wintry blast is surely going to lead to eye-popping utility bills in January.  Correspondent Tom Banse looks into whether perpetually under-funded heating assistance programs are up to the task of helping low-income utility customers.

Something fortuitous happened before our current cold snap hit.  The federal government doubled the amount of energy assistance available this winter. 

Rhonda Worman coordinates energy assistance in the Yakima area.  She expects to be hit hard in January and February when bills for heating this month come due.

Rhonda Worman: “We have quite a bit more money this year and we’ve been able to keep up with the demand. However, I anticipate sometime in early January we probably will be starting a waiting list.”

We found one agency in Toppenish, Washington where the enlarged pot of relief money is already completely spoken for.  More people are eligible for aid due to the slowing economy.  And rising utility rates don’t help either.

Separately, many local utilities offer bill relief for the needy.  Some, including Northwest Natural Gas, Eugene Water and Electric, and Puget Sound Energy have increased their relief program budgets as well.