10.20.08
 
More may ask for help paying utilities bills
by Nancy Gaarder, Omaha World-Herald

Jamie Moore is seeing a disturbing trend.

With winter not even here, and the year not yet over, calls for help with utility bills are running almost 40 percent ahead of last year at the United Way of the Midlands.

Not only are more people seeking help, but the size of bills is significantly larger for some of those in need, she said.

The average household seeking help from the United Way in 2008 owed $670 on its utility bill, compared with about $495 last year, said Moore, vice president of volunteer and community services.

"Some years the numbers haven't been quite this high; other years they have," said Moore, who has been with the United Way 20 years. "People are just living closer to the line."

Paula Hite-Garcia, program director for material assistance with the Salvation Army, is worried about what her staff will see this winter when heating bills send people to her seeking help.

"I think it's going to be through the roof," she said. The Salvation Army administers the heat aid fund for Metropolitan Utilities District. "With the economy as bad as it is, there is no way people have been paying their bills like they would if they had the money."

The weather is going to play a crucial role, said Dena Howard, chief programs officer for emergency services at the Heartland Chapter of the American Red Cross.

A mild fall and winter would blunt some of the effect of heating bills on family budgets.

Jerry McKim, chief of the Iowa Bureau of Energy Assistance, said he expects a significant number of Iowa households to head into winter with their utilities disconnected. The economic downturn and overall high energy costs are conspiring against consumers, McKim said.

"Energy . . . basically has become unaffordable for far too many households in Nebraska and Iowa," he said. "Even if prices stabilize at last year's level, last year wasn't affordable."

The Metropolitan Utilities District has disconnected about 28 percent more customers this year than last, according to Mari Matulka, spokeswoman. This year, about 14,500 customers have been disconnected. Many were reconnected within days of having their service turned off, she said.

Going into winter, she said, significantly fewer M.U.D. customers -- 31 percent -- are at risk of disconnection than a year ago, she said, and the size of delinquent bills is smaller.

"We are in a relatively good position at this point," she said.

A good piece of news has been that this summer was cooler than normal, so electric bills weren't extraordinarily high.

The Omaha Public Power District is on a pace to see slightly fewer disconnections this year than two years ago, according to spokesman Jeff Hanson. Also, OPPD customers who have fallen behind are doing so by noticeably smaller amounts ˜ about 24 percent less than two years ago as of the end of August, he said.

MidAmerican Energy also saw a drop in disconnections in 2008 compared with 2007 in Iowa, according to spokeswoman Ann Thelen.

In dozens of states, disconnections are up, according to a survey by the Associated Press. Shutoffs are running 17 percent higher among New York's major utilities, and 22 percent in Michigan.

Those who work with energy assistance advise people to contact their utility or aid agency for help sooner rather than later.

And there is some help on the way. Federal energy assistance to states this winter will reach record levels. Nebraska expects to receive almost $40 million and Iowa about $67.8 million.

Low-Income Energy Assistance Program statistics, 10.20.08

FY 2008

Douglas/Sarpy Counties

$7,420,894

Nebraska

$19,178,759

FY 2007

Douglas/Sarpy Counties

$5,846,851

Nebraska

$14,892,371

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