Sharing the warmth

Program pays winter heating bills for poor families

GRANT COUNTY — Carolyn Schell wants to make sure no one's heat gets turned off this winter.

Schell works at the North Columbia Community Action Council on a program for people to make sure that heat stays on. "Share the Warmth" is funded by donations from Grant County Public Utility District customers, and goes to people who otherwise wouldn't be able to pay their utility bill during the winter months.

Temperatures were low in the past month, and Schell said some utility customers might be a little surprised when they realize how much energy they've used in the last several weeks.

"A lot of people have some really high bills out there," she said.

For some, that high utility bill could take away money for other bills, or Schell said, even money for food or medications. Share the Warmth not only goes to people in danger of being disconnected from the utility, Schell said, but also goes to people in an effort to turn their power back on. Lack of funds in the program could put a damper on assistance for some in the next few weeks.

Schell said donations have been slower coming in this year. The North Columbia Community Action Council receives a check from the PUD each month to distribute funds from ratepayer donations. That check from the PUD came the week before last, and on Friday Schell had just enough left over for two Share the Warmth appointments. Schell said the need for the program is always there, and said she understands that many people are unable to donate to the program.

"We try to stretch the funds as far as we can," Schell said. "Sadly, it's not always enough to go around."

Share the Warmth received $21,796 from donations during the 2003-2004 season. Enough, Schell said, to help at least 100 households with their utility bills.

"The bills get up there," Schell said, "It's just been damp enough and cold enough."

Every dollar donated is also matched by the State of Washington. The money could assist customers with up to $300 in utility bills during the winter.

"It's a one time per year kind of thing," Schell said, "If people are having problems."

The most common way for a utility customer to donate to the program is on their monthly utility bills.

PUD customer accounting supervisor Annette Lovitt said people who donate will typically just round up their bill, or pay a specific dollar amount.

If a person is in need of help, Lovitt said the PUD can refer them to the North Columbia Community Action Council, which will determine whether the person is income eligible.

Lovitt said that if a utility customer is eligible for Share the Warmth funds, the PUD will make sure that customer's account doesn't get turned off.

"During that time," Lovitt said, "We make sure that customer is taken care of."

People need Share the Warmth funds at one point or another for different reasons, Lovitt said. According to the PUD, those who use the funds can be elderly people on fixed incomes or single-parent families trying to make ends meet.

"It's just good to help your neighbors out," Lovitt said, "so this is one way we can do it."

The lack of Share the Warmth funds will prevent Schell from helping people through the program for the next few weeks. She said. though, that her group has another option to aid PUD customers: moratoriums.

Schell said North Columbia Community Action can help people by putting a moratorium on their bills, meaning those customers only have to pay a certain rate through the winter months. The PUD cannot disconnect power to customers on moratoriums, but Schell said high utility payments do begin again in March.

The people Schell meets for the program are hardworking, Schell said, and have just fallen on hard times. Schell said they are often torn between spending money on their medications or paying their power bills. Schell said Share the Warmth has helped people throughout Grant County during those hard times.

"They're not just from Moses Lake," Schell says, "They're from communities all over Grant County."