With home heating oil prices the highest they have been since the 1970s, more and more people are seeking help through the People’s Regional Opportunity Program’s fuel assistance program.
“The price going up makes everyone anxious,” said Grant Lee, executive director of PROP. “Folks are scared, they are worried about making ends meet.”
That concern was clear on Thursday morning at Scarborough Town Hall where throughout the day a steady stream of people signed up during the program’s “priority meeting.” In the early part of the morning the entire parking lot was filled and people were parking on the grass.
The day was dedicated to signing up people who were 65 and older or parents with children 2 years old or younger. Throughout the day people met with PROP representatives to outline their need for fuel assistance this winter. Those who meet the income guidelines will receive fuel assistance during the winter, Lee said.
Many of those present said they are concerned about increasing fuel costs when added to increasing taxes and other necessary expenses in their life.
“It’s hard to keep up on a fixed income,” said one retiree who was waiting to sign up and wished to remain anonymous, citing privacy concerns.
Several people said they did not know what they would do without the fuel assistance and it helps them to avoid making difficult decisions during the wintertime.
“We’re glad this service is offered,” said one woman who has lived in town for more than 20 years, but did not want her name used in print.
Others are hoping for warm weather and are looking for ways to improve their home’s energy efficiency to reduce heating bills.
Scarborough resident Robert Erhard cares for four children and said the constantly increasing costs of everything, including heating, is “nickel-and-diming (him) to death.”
“There’s no doubt in my mind it’s a necessary program for many people,” he said.
Interest in the program throughout the area is just as high and Lee reports that his office receives some 200 calls a day from people looking for assistance.
“There’s lots of concern out there,” Lee said.
But with cost of heating fuel skyrocketing, the money that PROP provides to families will not go as far as it did last year.
The increases in the heating oil market are so high that the assistance will probably only cover the increase in costs people will be seeing from last winter to this winter.
Last year the organization had $1.2 million in fuel assistance money from the federal government and purchased about 600,000 gallons of oil at $1.95 per gallon for about 3,200 households. The average benefit for a program participant was $426. This year that same amount of money will buy 490,000 gallons of fuel based on a cost of $2.43 a gallon.
Lee said PROP’s board of directors is trying to get additional money for the program from the federal government and there was authorization in the latest energy bill to double the federal money, which he is hoping will happen.
Locally Scarborough’s Human Resources Director Tom Guter, who handles all of the town’s general assistance requests, said he has not had any requests for assistance for heating fuel. He attributes this to PROP’s success in getting their information out to the public.
Guter said PROP will continue interviewing people interested in receiving fuel assistance from Oct. 31 through Nov. 3. Appointments are required and can be made by calling 842-2988 ext. 32.
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