Mari Takase, a Panasonic staff person, shows off the company’s long-life flourescent bulbs. The 12-watt bulb is as bright as 60-watt bulbs, uses 80 percent less energy and lasts about eight years. (AP Photo/Koji Sasahara)

Can’t Pay Your High Energy Bills? There Is Help

Many people have trouble paying their heating bills. This year, things may be even more difficult.

Heating costs this winter will rise at least 40 to 50 percent. So, a monthly heating bill of $100 last year could be $150 this year.

Damage caused by the hurricanes helped drive up prices, company officials and experts said. A cold winter can also mean bigger bills.

“These increases are really hammering consumers,” Charlie Higley, executive director of the Wisconsin Citizens Utility Board, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Utility, state can help

There are programs that can help if you cannot pay your bills. Start by calling the utility company in your community. In Milwaukee, that is We Energies.

Ask the Customer Service Department to set up a payment plan for you. They may give you three extra months to pay your current and overdue heating charges.

The state government can also help. It operates the Energy Assistance Bureau, which serves more than 100,000 people each year.

The Energy Assistance Program can pay part of your heating bill. The amount of money you receive depends on your household income, the number of people in your household and your heating costs. The bureau also helps people plan a budget for energy costs. It also provides emergency furnace repair and replacement.

It is important to contact the Energy Assistance Program now to make certain that help is there when you need it. Do not wait until the Gas or Electric Companies turn off your service.

Politicians pledge aid

Government leaders are also trying their best. Governor Jim Doyle has unveiled a plan to help people with rising energy costs. It includes an extra $16 million in state money for helping low-income residents pay their heating bills.

We Energies will also give $5 million to programs that help some people pay their bills.

More aid is needed, Doyle said. “When heating costs are expected to rise by up to 50 percent this winter, it affects everyone’s budget,” he said.

Phone or write for information

Here is where to go for information about programs to help you with your energy bills:

We Energies: For those in southeastern Wisconsin, including Milwaukee, call 1-800-842-4565, or visit www.we-energies.com.

Energy Assistance Bureau: Call 1-866-HEATWIS (432-8947). In Milwaukee County, you can also call 289-5865 or 906-2831. Or, visit www.energyhelp.wi.gov.

Source: www.wisconsin.gov, www.we-energies.com, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel