With winter fast approaching, and the same perfect storm hanging over millions of struggling families fearing the expiration of Covid moratoriums on utility bills due from the spring/summer shutdown where most of the country’s electric bills were higher, economically-distressed communities rural, suburban and urban were hit especially hard. With a small wave of relief coming with the release of LIHEAP’s winter heating assistance funds starting to roll out, families around St. Louis, Missouri in the heart of the Midwest were grateful for the $500,000 in energy assistance that local utility Ameren was dolling out, topping off another $4 million in additional assistance the utility had contributed in 2020 to the Coronavirus economic fight. A recognition of the utility’s awareness that “there are many families struggling with their expenses who don’t qualify for existing programs, but have been deeply impacted by the pandemic.” Continuing, Amaren Missouri Chairmen/President Marty Lyons added his company’s reassurance that “we want those families to know we are here to help in this critical time of need. This new round of Clean Slate will support even more customers as we head into the colder winter months.”
A forecast that had Congress on edge in Washington, over 40 Senators in a rare show of Bi-Partisanship wrote to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) urging rapid release of the year’s remaining winter LIHEAP funds, with longtime supporter U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont affirmed that “as a result of this horrific health and economic crisis, Vermonters are hurting like they have never hurt before. It is critical that we get this home heating lifeline to Vermonters immediately. In the richest country on Earth, we have a moral responsibility to make sure that no one has to make the unacceptable choice between putting food on the table, paying for their prescription drugs, or heating their homes this winter.”
Senator Patrick Leahy doubled down on the pressure his constituents were under “with the pandemic continuing to depress family incomes nationwide, and an early fall here in Vermont, it’s vital that HHS act swiftly to release LIHEAP dollars to the states. As vice chairman of the Appropriations Committee I’ve fought year after year to support strong funding for LIHEAP because I know Vermonters rely on this help to keep warm. Any delay in sending these dollars to Vermont will result in Vermont families delaying filling their fuel tanks as nights get colder. I understand the urgency, and I hope the Administration does as well.”
The same chill was being felt out West as senior U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein of Northern California, traditionally chilly in the wintertime, echoed her colleagues sentiment with co-signs from the aforementioned Senators Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Angus King (I-Maine), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.), Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Doug Jones (D-Ala.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.).
Acting as a voice for the voiceless, these and other advocates included a collective up in the traditionally-frigid-in-winter state of Minnesota, where once state LIHEAP director Michael Schmitz for the Department of Commerce predicted that “I could see this as being a pretty long and hard winter for a lot of people,” Xcel Energy Vice President of Customer Care Chris Cardenas announced credits for up to 75% of customers’ delinquent bills. Proudly pointing to the program as “the first of its kind,” Cardenas reasoned the drastic action was necessary as “these really are unprecedented times, and we really don’t have a benchmark to compare them to.” Praised by nonprofits like the Energy Cents Coalition, whose Executive Director Pam Marshall complimented the “creative way to acknowledge there will be an even bigger problem if we ignore it,” she offered the similarly poignant irony that shut-off notices are “the motivator to seek assistance.” Another advocate, Bill Grant – Executive Director of the Minnesota Community Action Partnership – highlighted the massive difference that LIHEAP made, noting that the program “has in most winters gotten us through the heating season.”
Up in neighboring Wisconsin, Governor Tony Evers announced the early Christmas present to his state of a surprise $47 million in assistance through the Federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF), $15 million of which is headed straight to the LIHEAP program. Local ABC affiliate Channel 27 WKOW reported that that funding would be matched by “an additional $1 million Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund (KWW/CF), a non-profit that provides a statewide safety net to individuals facing energy-related emergencies.” Similar efforts to lend a helping hand were having around the country, including in North Carolina where Valley News Live announced that an additional $460 payment per family in need of help would be heading out this winter to help fight off the rise in heating bills.
Reporting by J.B.
Sources:
https://www.kfvs12.com/2020/10/21/k-energy-assistance-now-available-ameren-mo-customers/
https://vermontbiz.com/news/2020/october/19/leahy-and-sanders-seek-swift-release-liheap-heating-help
https://wfpl.org/kentuckians-75-million-behind-on-utilities-as-moratorium-ends/
https://wxow.com/2020/10/06/evers-receives-more-covid-support/
https://www.valleynewslive.com/2020/10/06/new-p-liheap-program-will-help-pay-electric-utility-bills/