|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
This is another installment of a new series on how to navigate life in New Bedford. Ask us your questions here and our reporters will look into it for you.
It’s wintertime again, and heating bills are rising.
Last month, Eversource told customers that it was setting higher natural gas rates this winter that would increase the average monthly heating bill by 22%. State energy authorities say you should expect “moderately higher overall energy bills” this winter, due to colder forecasted weather and higher fuel costs.
If you’re in a low-income household, you might be able to get help keeping your home warm. The Massachusetts Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, can pay part of your heating bill during the colder months.
In New Bedford, the local nonprofit PACE is now accepting applications.
Fran Stubbs, the HEAP director at PACE, strongly encourages people to apply if they are struggling with heating costs.
“Nobody should feel that they’re not eligible and someone else is more worthy than them,” Stubbs said. “Even if they’re not sure, they should just apply.”
What are the benefits?
HEAP pays up to $850 toward eligible households’ utility bills, or up to $1,050 for fuel such as heating oil, from November to April. Households below the federal poverty level with especially high energy costs could receive up to $200 in extra assistance. The program is meant to supplement heating costs, not cover them completely, Stubbs said.
The application period is open through April. No matter when you apply or whether you have already paid your heating bills, you can receive assistance that covers your costs dating back to November.
“There’s a lot of other perks to the program besides paying the bill,” Stubbs said.
By applying for HEAP, you may qualify for Eversource’s reduced rates for low-income households. You could also be eligible for assistance to help you weatherize your home and replace or repair inefficient appliances.
Who is eligible?
Eligibility is based on family size and gross income — that’s your income before taxes are taken out, including wages and benefits like Social Security.
Households with gross income less than 60% of the state’s median income are eligible. For example, a family of three must have gross income less than $79,470 to qualify.
It doesn’t matter whether you own or rent your home. Even if heat is covered as part of your rent, you may still be eligible if you pay more than 30% of your income toward housing.
Applicants at risk of losing access to heat are prioritized.
How do I apply?
PACE is the local agency tasked with distributing aid for Greater New Bedford. The organization reviews applications on a rolling, first-come-first-serve basis during the heating season.
You can submit your application on PACE’s website. If you need help, you can call their office at 508-525-4271 or visit them in-person at 255 Union St. in New Bedford.
To show that you qualify, you will need identification and documents showing proof of citizenship, residence, and income. Here are some examples of what to bring:
- Identification: A photo ID, such as a driver’s license, for the head of household.
- Citizenship: A birth certificate, passport, or Social Security card for all members of the household.
- Residence: A lease, rent receipt, or mortgage statement.
- Income: A pay stub showing the last four weeks of income, and benefit award letters for public programs such as Social Security, veterans benefits, and unemployment.
If every member of your household already receives benefits from the Department of Transitional Assistance, PACE may be able to verify some of this information through the agency.
The process requires some patience, Stubbs said. Her office’s small staff reviews thousands of applications each season, so it can take four weeks or longer to receive a response. If the response isn’t what you expected, you can submit an appeal to have them take another look at your application.
How can I reduce my heating bill without assistance?
You can find guides to help you reduce your energy usage on the U.S. Department of Energy and MassSave websites. Here are their top tips.
Keep your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower. Turn it even lower at night and when you leave home. Open your curtains to let sunlight in during the day, and close them to insulate your windows from the cold at night.
Keep your heating system in good repair. Have it serviced by a professional every two years and check air filters monthly.
Weatherize your home to keep the warm air inside. The Department of Energy and MassSave have lots of tips for this, including sealing up leaks and covering drafty windows. See their guides for more information.
Download and print ⤴
Email Grace Ferguson at gferguson@newbedfordlight.org
In my opinion, this funding should be available for the elderly, military veterans, and disabled legal residents who are unable to pay their electricity, and heating costs so they can live in comfort. Anyone else who has the ability to work full time, and the opportunity to work overtime, or work a second part time job to meet their financial obligations but chooses not to should be excluded. I can’t remember anytime in the past 40 years when there were so many “Help Wanted” signs that have become a permanent part of so many local businesses of all types, from restaurants to manufacturing jobs with companies like Acushnet Company, a good company to work for with good pay and benefits that can’t fill jobs needed by unskilled labor, they don’t even require a high school diploma anymore, if you can pass a test that an average 14 year old high school freshman can pass, you would be hired, the same company where you had to know an employee who was willing to allow you to use them as a reference, otherwise, the demand for a job there was almost impossible due to the large number of area residents who also wanted to work there.
I’m convinced that 60% New Bedford residents is made up of retired people, illegal immigrants, people with a criminal record, drug users, and welfare recipients, and fake disability recipients who prefer to collect disability, welfare, and SNAP benefits, and rely on the food pantries and PACE fuel assistance to survive as opposed to working for a living, buying a home, and being embarrassed to ask for help to pay a $90.00 electric bill, and a $250.
00 heating bill, what a disgrace.
It’s almost impossible to believe that New Bedford was once the richest city in the world due to the whaling industry and resulting whale oil sales throughout the world, a city built by intelligent leaders and legal immigrants who proudly became American citizens, learned to speak English, and worked hard to have a better life than those who chose to do nothing and have nothing.