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Senator
O'Leary Encourages Residents to Contact Energy Bucks to
Access Energy Assistance by April 30th Spring Deadline
Burdened by the
downturn in the economy and a particularly harsh winter, many more
Cape & Island residents have been struggling to pay their
bills. To help constituents, Senator Robert O’Leary
(D-Barnstable) is encouraging them to contact Energy Bucks (www.energybucks.com)
to see what energy efficiency and cost-saving services they
qualify for.
Funding is still available.
This year, the
Massachusetts
’ federal heating assistance allocation nearly doubled from $114
million to $212 million and funding for low-income weatherization
increased to $13 million. The deadline to apply for fuel
assistance is April 30.
“It
is important that people are aware of the programs that are
available to them to help them balance the costs of keeping warm
throughout the remainder of the winter and into the spring and
summer,” said Senator O’Leary. “ We are all too familiar
with how erratic new England weather can be and even those who
already receive fuel assistance may qualify for a discount utility
rate or energy efficiency services that help them save money in
any season.”
Energy
Bucks is an integrated campaign that creates
“one-stop-shopping” for energy assistance services, enabling
Massachusetts
residents to better understand and apply for programs that can
help them manage their energy costs.
Energy
efficiency services are available to families at little or no cost
depending on their income. Typically, a family of four can qualify
for some form of assistance or energy efficiency services if their
income is less than $4,124 a month.
These
services can help save qualified families up to 30 percent on
their energy bills by insulating and weatherizing their homes,
repairing or replacing a heating system, receiving discount rates
for electric and gas, installing energy efficient appliances and
obtaining fuel assistance. By spreading the word about the
resources available, Energy Bucks links residents to programs that
will help them stretch their dollars as the weather gets colder
and budgets get tighter.
While this year’s fuel
assistance benefit has increased, providing roughly 10 weeks of
heat to oil customers versus last year’s average of 7 weeks,
there are also actions residents themselves can take to reduce
their energy use and stretch their dollars. Simple steps like
taking showers versus baths, which use 40 percent less hot water,
and turning off and unplugging all TV’s and computers when not
in use, can make a real difference in energy bills. The Energy
Bucks website – www.energybucks.com
- has more cost-saving tips.
About
Energy Bucks
Energy Bucks is an integrated campaign combining grassroots
outreach, community-based activities and advertising to build
awareness of the fuel assistance, discount rates and energy
efficiency services available to income-eligible families. Energy
Bucks is sponsored by
Massachusetts
utilities including National Grid, NSTAR Electric & Gas,
Unitil, Western Massachusetts Electric Company, Berkshire Gas, Bay
State Gas, and the Cape Light Compact in collaboration with the
Massachusetts Association for Community Action (MASSCAP) and the
Low-Income Energy Affordability Network (LEAN). To find out if you
qualify for assistance, visit www.energybucks.com
or call 1-866-LESS-COST.
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