Electric and natural gas utilities in Missouri and nationwide say they are shutting off more customers this year because of unpaid bills.
Missouri Gas Energy shut off slightly more customers in 2009 than in 2008, but was unable to release actual numbers. Kansas City Power & Light saw a larger number of first-time shutoffs in 2009, but was also unable to report specific numbers.
“(The shutoffs) are most likely due to the economy,” said Jason Fulp, external communications and marketing representative of Missouri Gas Energy. “It has not been an appreciable increase for MGE.”
According to the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, more than 4 million households were disconnected for nonpayment in fiscal year 2009, despite federal assistance doubling to more than $5 billion.
More than 8.2 million U.S. households received utility assistance through the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
In Missouri, more than 153,500 households relied on the LIHEAP assistance program for the 2009 federal fiscal year, which ran from October 2008 through September 2009. In Buchanan County, 2,355 households were helped by LIHEAP, according to the Department of Social Services.
Utility aid varies by family size, but LIHEAP averages $800 for families in winter months and $300 in the summer. For the current fiscal year, the Missouri Department of Social Services budgeted $103,541,119 for LIHEAP funding.
The Department of Natural Resources’ Division of Energy issued $14,324 in weatherization subgrant funds to Community Services of Northwest Missouri to help low-income Missourians reduce home-energy costs.
Community Services is one of 18 Missouri agencies that implements the state’s Low Income Weatherization Assistance Program, enabling families to reduce energy bills by making homes more energy-efficient.
Since the program began in 1978, weatherization funds have helped to weatherize more than 155,000 Missouri homes. CSI serves nine Northwest Missouri counties: Andrew, Atchison, Buchanan, Clinton, DeKalb, Gentry, Holt, Nodaway and Worth.
A survey by the NEADA in June found that only 8 percent of households nationally that earn between $33,000 and $55,500 annually have had their electricity turned off.
Nationwide, more than 8 million households received emergency assistance in 2009, up nearly a third from 2008.
The NEADA estimated that 9 million to 10 million households will seek assistance at the end of the 2010 fiscal year.
Kristin Hoppa can be reached
at kristin.hoppa@npgco.com.
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mm1967 says...
This should not come a huge surprise with the way the economy is and all of the job loss we have.The economy might be showing signs of slowly turning around but the job market is still dormant.People unemployment are running out and they are losing everything.
But we have had huge bailouts to companys such as GM,CHRYSLER.We have had huge bailouts to banks and they will not lend monrey to small business es that would create jobs.And then we have the huge bailouts of company's like AIG that hands out millions in bonuses to their employees at the cost of the american tax payer.
We need jobs and when there are a few jobs the employers are getting flooded with resumes and some nevver get looked at.It is not a employees market any longer it at this point is a employers market.
February 8, 2010 at 7:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
schoolusplease says...
The gas company profits from our pain. They do not care about anything but money. Reconnect fees and big deposits benefit them. EOC funnels cash at them and they take advantage of the disconnect money and other fees. They could settle up before the fees and save everyone (including charities) fees. Now a family has perished and the real reason for it is the gas company shut their heat off in the middle of the winter.
The economy is what it is. Our community puts its greed ahead of childrens lives all the time. Ron Reagan said that trickle down will occur. Trusting in that b.s. cost these kids their lives. It is obvious by the facts that the gas company bears some responsibility. When Ron explained reaganomics to us he was counting on you selfish types to care or was he? I could not sleep at night if I were responsible for that shut off. What did their lives save you? $200.00 ? GREEDY GAS CO. !
February 9, 2010 at 12:57 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )