Utah Community Action seeing more calls for utility bills assistance
Mar 9, 2022, 9:55 PM | Updated: Jun 19, 2022, 9:32 pm
SALT LAKE CITY — You might not be able to tell from the outside, but inside a Salt Lake City building off 1300 South and 900 West is hope.
“My staff is tender-hearted, and they love the clients that we work with,” said Jackie Drury.
Drury is a program manager with Utah Community Action, an organization whose mission is to help families.
Drury oversees the HEAT program, which helps families with utility bills.
“We’ve had a really large influx of people this last year who came in needing services for the first time and we’re so happy that they did,” she said.
Especially now, since Utah Community Action is getting millions of dollars from the federal government as part of the American Rescue Plan to help families.
“The great thing about this money is they already got it in place and we’re ready to move on it this year,” said Drury. “Typically, in a regular season, somebody can apply for assistance one time between October to September. This year, they get to opt for two benefits up to $700 both times. One for heating and one for cooling.”
Like most things, the price of residential natural gas is increasing. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, at the start of this year, it was $10.15 per thousand cubic feet compared to $8.99 last year all the way to $9.04 in 2018.
For some families, that increase is a big deal.
“A lot of times these families are great at budgeting but it’s like having to go down to the penny,” said Drury. “So, if you have any extra costs, like a hospital bill or emergency or something like that, it can really impact people on limited budgets.”
To be eligible, a person must be responsible for the household utilities as well as make 150% less than the federal poverty level.
That level number depends on the size of the household.
Often, Drury says a family may be embarrassed to apply for help, especially if it’s their first time.
“We all get in these situations sometimes, and if you need help, there’s no reason you shouldn’t apply,” said Drury. “To be able to help somebody in a time when they really need it, and when they’re really struggling, it’s a beautiful thing and we’re very lucky to be able to do that every day.”
