Heating assistance funding down this year

The heating program that assists the elderly and low-income families in Wayne, Fayette and Union counties will continue this fall, but those who need help might not receive as much assistance as they did in 2014.

Tamara Cunningham, executive director of Southeastern Indiana Economic Opportunity Corp., said federal funding for heating assistance was reduced for the coming season because not as many clients sought help in the winter of 2014-15 as compared to the numbers in 2013-14.

Extra funds were made available during the severe winter of 2013-14, so there was additional money to allow clients to take advantage of “summer fill” discounts offered to users of bulk fuels such as oil or propane.

The loss of the summer fill program isn’t unique to Richmond. It isn’t available anywhere in Indiana, said Brad Meadows, spokesperson for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, which manages the state program.

Instead of the summer fill program, clients will be eligible for help with cooling costs, Meadows said.

Clients who were enrolled in the 2014-15 heating program automatically will receive a $100 credit on their electric bill to help with summer cooling costs, Meadows said.

Area residents who need help with heating bills will work with new agencies this fall because of the termination of Community Action of East Central Indiana as the heating and cooling program provider in Wayne, Union and Fayette counties.

The heating program for Wayne and Fayette counties now is administered by the Interlocal Community Action Program (ICAP) in New Castle. ICAP has rented space at 50 S. Second St. in Richmond, but the office is not yet open.

The Southeastern Indiana Economic Opportunity Corp. in Aurora is overseeing the heating program in Union County. SIEOC will be located in the Howard Center in Liberty, where Head Start is located, Cunningham said. Federal rules for the heating program require the provider to have a local office in each county it serves.