 "Photo: Julia Rendleman ~ Daily Egyptian.")
Eligible Carbondale residents are encouraged to sign up for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program for help with their heating bills this fall and winter, Mayor Brad Cole said.
Individuals and families in Carbondale soak up about 25% of the $2 million LIHEAP federal grant money for Monroe, Jackson, Perry and Randolph counties, according to Debbie Thies, LIHEAP program coordinator for the Western Egyptian Community Assistance Council.
WECAC accepts applications and administers the grant money, which is given on a first-come, first-serve basis, she said.
Thies said a diverse city like Carbondale has a lot of need.
“There's a lot of people using a lot of electricity and a lot of people who come from places where heat and electricity is a luxury,” she said.
The program, in operation since 1982, also assists people with cooling in the summer, Cole said.
Thies said a priority application period for elderly and disabled residents begins in
September, but all other eligible residents thereafter can submit applications to WECAC, providing they can prove their income.
WECAC is set to launch the Percentage of Income Payment Program sometime this fall, which will help people eventually afford their bills, Thies said.
“Maybe they can't afford to pay the whole amount, but if they can pay 60% with their income, the program will cover the rest,” she said.
Nick Johnson can be reached at nickj39@siu.edu
