As cold temperatures persist throughout Greater Williamsburg, residents in crisis can receive a little help keeping their homes warm and their electricity on this winter.
Local government and Dominion Energy programs are offering a hand-up this winter for residents in need.
Crisis assistance programs through the James City County, York County, and Williamsburg City governments offer residents of each locality assistance with heating bills while Dominion Energy is looking to help keep customers from having sticker shock at high electric bills.
Lower temperatures have led to higher bills to keep the lights on
High utility bills, in particular, can be a hardship for impoverished families, and the bills haven’t been cheap of late, according to Dominion Energy spokeswoman Bonita Billingsley Harris.
While the rates consumers pay for the electricity haven’t changed, people are using far more electricity than before to heat their homes, according to Harris.
“[M]any customers will see bills that are higher, possibly much higher, than expected as their heating systems strained to keep pace with demand, drawing higher amounts of electricity to keep running,” Harris wrote in an email.
The cold weather earlier this month set a record for Dominion.
“Dominion Energy customers used more energy during that week than any on record to keep their homes and businesses warm and set a record on Saturday, Jan. 6, for the highest demand ever in a 24-hour period,” Harris wrote. “Sunday, Jan. 7, was the second highest.”
While Dominion’s in the business of turning a profit, it’s also looking to help consumers who are struggling to pay their utility bills on time.
“We offer payment extensions, long-term payment plans, and bill payment assistance to help get them through a rough spot,” Harris wrote about consumers.
While the utility company offers these programs, for some area residents the situation has already escalated into an emergency.
‘Everyone is encouraged to apply’
The programs are for the ‘emergency needs’ of households in the area.
“Everyone is encouraged to apply,” City of Williamsburg Human Services eligibility worker Dione Whitaker said of those in crisis.
Crisis assistance can be used to pay for security deposits for heating, utility bills, repairs or the replacement of heating equipment, fuel for heating, or emergency shelter, according to the state Energy Assistance Program fact sheet.
Fuel assistance helps households pay to heat their homes, while crisis assistance covers a broader spectrum of situations.
The only way to find out if a person is eligible is to apply, according to Whitaker.
“There are income guidelines, but we don’t establish eligibility before we receive applications,” Whitaker said.
Each locality hands out the money to dozens of families annually, according to City of Williamsburg Human Resources director Peter Walentisch. In Williamsburg, 46 households have received assistance for fuel and another two households have received crisis assistance, Walentisch said.
In James City County, 471 households requested heating assistance while another 76 households have received crisis assistance, according to James City County Social Services chief of benefit program Charlene Collins.
While heating bills have increased this winter, the weather hasn’t spared residents’ electric bills.
That leaves Dominion asking residents to let it know if it’s getting difficult to pay the utility bill, according to Harris.
“Contact us early,” Harris wrote. “Allow us to help set up a payment plan that takes into consideration the individual circumstance of the customer.”
For more information on the Virginia Energy Assistance Program go to Virginia Common Help. For more information on the departments administering the program in James City County, York County, and Williamsburg click on the name of the locality.
For more information on Dominion Energy’s customer help program go to Dominion Energy Share. Click here for information on payment plans with Dominion Energy. Click here to learn how to save energy and money.
