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Cold Weather Means Big Power Bills; Help Available

Cold weather in December and January is putting high power bills into the hands of North Escambia area residents. And for many households, those high power bills mean financial difficulties.

Gulf Power customers are enjoying a 2.8 decrease on their bills, while EREC customers have seen the “purchased power cost adjustment”  decrease $36 on an average bill of 1,000 kilowatt hours.

For those that need more help, both companies participate in several programs to help customers save money on their energy bills, make their homes more energy efficient or help them get direct assistance.

Levelized/Budget Billing

• Gulf Power offers a bill payment option called Budget Billing. Budget Billing can “levelize” monthly payments so customers can know approximately how much their bill will be each month and avoid high cost fluctuations caused by increased energy purchases during very cold or hot periods. To find out more about payment assistance, call our Customer Care Center at 1-800-225-5797 anytime, day or night.
• EREC offers levelized billing to help minimize variances in electric bills each month. A member’s account over the past 12 months is averaged and they are billed that amount. Each new month, the oldest month is dropped and the latest month is added which is averaged for the current bill. Members can contact EREC at (850) 675-4521 if they would like to participate in this program.

Project Share/Share One With Your Neighbor

• Gulf Power participates with the Salvation Army in Project Share, a program that provides emergency assistance to those who need help with energy bills. Project Share and other non-profit programs assist the elderly, the disabled, the sick, and others experiencing financial hardship. Eligible customers can apply for Project SHARE assistance at The Salvation Army office in their county. Eligibility requirements for Project SHARE recipients are set by The Salvation Army. Gulf Power customers can donate to the program by indicating so on their power bill.
• Share One With Your Neighbor is an EREC program designed to help your neighbors who, due to temporary hardship or misfortune, may need financial assistance with their electric bills. Through this program, EREC members can choose to SHARE ONE dollar each month if they wish. EREC will then add one dollar, or the amount specified, to their electric bill each month. These contributions are placed in a special account which allows funds to be available in voucher form for those most needy. The Salvation Army will screen and recommend needy recipients, after which time the recipients will present the voucher receipts to ESCAMBIA RIVER ELECTRIC COOPERATIVE, INC. and the amounts will be applied to their current bills. Members should contact the Salvation Army directly to request assistance through this program at (850) 432-1501.

Direct Assistance

Direct assistance is available to the most needy through several programs in Escambia County:

• Community Action (850) 438-4021
• Tri-County (850) 981-0036
• Salvation Army (850) 432-1501
• Catholic Charities (850) 436-6425
• United Ministries (850) 433-2333
• First Call For Help (850) 595-5905
• NW FL Area Agency on Aging (60 or older) (850) 494-7100

Florida Low Income Energy Assistance Programs

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP & WAP-LIHEAP) annually provides grant funds to community action agencies, local governments, Indian tribes and non-profit agencies to provide specific program services for low-income families of Florida. The assistance includes: repair or replace inefficient heating and cooling units, air-infiltration/weather stripping, caulking, thresholds, minor wall, ceiling and floor repairs, window and door replacement, attic insulation, repair or replace water heaters, install solar screens, apply solar reflective coating to manufactured homes, and attic ventilation.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides grants to local governments and non-profit agencies to assist eligible low-income households in meeting the costs of home heating and cooling. Assistance includes utility bill payment, crisis and emergency assistance (bill payment, utility deposits, fees for restoring power, fans, repair or replacement of heating or cooling equipment, blankets and other items as needed, other items specific to the emergency).

These programs receive funding from the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services. The extent of services to be provided depends on available funding. The LIHEAP program also is funded each year by the federal Department of Energy.