THE WINDY CITY AND MIDWEST ARE PUT ON WARNING OF
ENDING UTILITY MORATORIUMS, LIHEAP TO THE RESCUE!!
Chicago’s local television affiliate ABC Channel 7 reported the frightening news for many struggling residents that “Illinois' moratorium on utility shut-offs during the COVID-19 pandemic ends Wednesday,” quoting such highly-placed politicians as Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul that “whether it's gas, electricity, water, these are things that are fundamental to our day-to-day living. The smartest thing to do is to reach out to your utility company because they are obligated to engage in those negotiations for deferred payment agreements. Utility costs have become unsustainable for many Illinois households, particularly as individuals and families continue to struggle due to the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Over 800,000 ratepayers have utility arrearages and are potentially subject to having their service cut off. Unfortunately, a disproportionate number of these households are located in predominately minority communities. I urge consumers to contact their utilities before they get disconnected to learn about bill assistance and repayment options.”
Encouraging families fearing a shut-off to take immediate action, one of them, citizen Bernida Davenport-McWhite spoke right to her fellow citizens, using her own family’s situation as an example where “we can get to a point where we are not too proud to let people know we need help. The help is out there.” As a community ambassador for CEDA (the Community Economic Development Association) that first helped her out of the same situation, she pointed to a longer-term hope the LIHEAP program provides in that “it really helped with a stepping stone to, OK, now there is hope, what can I do to keep the success going, how can I save money, how can I not waste energy?” Meanwhile, Illinois Commerce Commission chairman Carrie Zalewski emphasized a similar message that “you can get money off what is owed by engaging the utility. It's important to note the bill payment assistance program is a finite fund, so it runs out, so call soon.”
Speaking for the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO), Deputy Director and LIHEAP administrator David Wortman praised the progress “under Governor Pritzker’s leadership” wherewith over $100 million in LIHEAP funding still available to residents in need, “we are proud to have helped over 160,000 households with LIHEAP, but more help remains available to those in need. Applicants can get assistance from Help Illinois Families, an emergency assistance program, in as little as thirty days. That is why we are teaming up with CUB to conduct live events offering residents an opportunity to join in, ask questions, and seek out ongoing assistance offered by the state and 30 plus community action partners with applying for help on their utility bills.”
Utilities like Ameren were stepping up on behalf of struggling customers with their own initiatives, including the announcement of the 2-month extension of their COVID-19 Economic Hardship Recovery Program, with company President/Chairman Richard Mark announcing that because “the COVID-19 pandemic took a financial toll on many of our customers, while there are encouraging signs that the economy is improving and more people are getting back to work, we know some customers need additional time and flexibility on down payments in order to retire past due balances. We’re glad to be able to offer this support.” In a similar spirit of giving, NICOR Gas spread the good news through President/CEO John O. Hudson III that “We recognize that many of our customers across the communities we serve are still facing economic uncertainty and hardship caused by the pandemic. Our hope is this $10 million in bill payment assistance provides the customers who need it most with some relief that the clean, safe, reliable natural gas they expect will be there, freeing up family funds to put food on the table and meet additional needs.”
Reporting by J.B.
Sources:
Nicor Gas offers more than $10M in bill payment assistance (wifr.com)