Help available for winter heating costs

About 1,500 Yamhill County eligible households — nearly twice as many as last year — could receive assistance with heating this winter through the Energy Assistance Funds program being administered by YCAP.

The Yamhill Community Action Program is expected to have about $991,790 of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funding available for bill assistance this year. Last year, 799 Yamhill County households received Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds, with an average payment was $398.

YCAP expects to be able to help more this year because Congress increased funding for the program because of “dramatic increases in home energy expenses” which members said “impose a disproportionately larger burden on fixed-income, low-income and lower-to-middle-income households.”

YCAP already has started pre-screening senior and disabled households. It had received more than 350 applications by early November.

In early December, it will start accepting requests and referrals from the general public. Each week, as long as funds remain, it will choose some of those on the list to receive an application packet.

Households can receive help with a variety of heating sources: electricity, propane, natural gas, heating oil, firewood or pellets. Funds also may be available for emergency heating and cooling system repairs or replacements, as well.

LIHEAP funds do not replace the monthly payment of energy bills, program coordinators said. Rather, they are one-time help to offset the total cost of winter heating.

They urged people who may be eligible for LIHEAP money to apply early, so they have the maximum chance of being funded.

Eligibility is based on total family pre-tax income.

For more information, call YCAP, at 503-472-0457, ext. 1480.