Cold reality

www.townonline.com By Amy Lambiaso / alambias@cnc.com Friday, January 31, 2003

As the country edges closer to a possible war with Iraq, gas prices are edging up on a nearly daily basis. But even more concerning as we face one of the coldest winter's in recent memory is the rapidly rising demand for home heating oil.

Advocates for federal fuel aid are estimating that tens of thousands of Bay State residents are struggling to pay to stay warm as temperatures continue to drop. But with President Bush's announcement last week to release $200 million in federal funds, Massachusetts will see $12.3 million to bring relief to consumers eligible for federal assistance and help warm cold homes. The funding, to be administered by the Department of Health and Human Services is expected to become available in early February.

Lisa Spencer, energy director for the South Shore Community Action Council, the Plymouth-based area energy assistance company for income-eligible households, said calls for assistance had been about even with past years, but have greatly increased during the bitterly cold month of January. Although she didn't have exact numbers from the month yet, Spencer estimated walk-ins needing assistance have almost doubled during the last month.

On top of the great demand for the oil, vendors are saying many people can't even afford what oil is left. Attributing this shortage of money for some families to a lack of planning and frivolous spending, some say there is little they can do to help.

"People don't have the money because they're foolishly spending it elsewhere," said Steve Balboni, of Balboni's Oil in Kingston. "They think the equipment in their homes is going to last forever and they'll never have to worry about it."

Reports say more than 100,000 families in the state have used up federal fuel benefits, and may face the rest of the winter without aid if they are not eligible. An average family of four must have a combined household income of no more than $36,200 to be eligible for the South Shore Community Action's assistance program.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program helps mainly the poor and elderly in paying heating bills, paying fixed amounts based on house income. Local administering agencies determine household eligibility based on the annual income and the number of home residents and make payments toward the heating bills to the primary source vendor. This year's frigid winter temperatures are being called the coldest on record ever, Balboni said.

Calls to Citizens Energy Corp., the non-profit oil company run by former US Rep. Joseph Kennedy, are up 100 percent over last winter. And while the company still has oil, Kennedy said recently there is "no way" it can meet the demand.

Balboni said he deals with many residents who cannot afford to heat their homes because they have not saved money accordingly throughout the year, or may be on a fixed income as are many elderly residents. But with the current uproar in Venezuela, where a good portion of oil originates, Balboni cannot predict when the stock will replenish itself again.

"It's a supply and demand issue, but there are a lot of variables in play," he said. "The varying market values and international issues always come into play."

Advocates in Boston are calling for charitable donations to help the thousands of families suffering from the cold. Already, State Street Band has donated more than $100,000, while FleetBoston, Global Petroleum, Gillette, TJX and Citizens Financial Group have made donations to the federally funded low income assistance program.

Spencer said approximately 8,300 South Shore homes benefit from the assistance program, a number that may increase if eligible residents come forward now that more funding is available. With prices hitting close to $1.50 per gallon, rising as much as 3 cents a day, even the homes receiving aid will be stretched thin.

But while many oil vendors are hitting high prices, Balboni said he has been able to keep his in tact at $1.37 earlier this week. Markets closer to Boston are reporting higher prices with daily rising margins.

In addition to the South Shore Community Action Council and Citizen's Energy, the local Salvation Army, American Red Cross, churches and senior centers may also be able to provide relief.

Portions of Michael Levenson's State House News Service report were used for this story.

Sidebar, boxed:

Winter Energy-Saving Tips:

• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.
• When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed.
• Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable and consider an automatic setback thermostat to save additional money.
• Clean or replace filters on furnaces every other month.
• Make sure that warm air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
• Close your curtains and shades at night; open them during the day.
• Have your oil-fired heating system serviced annually and your gas-fired heating system serviced every three years.