Fuel program gets help, but may not be enough

The Gloucester Daily Times
Monday, March 7, 2005, page one

By Claude Marx Staff writer

Massachusetts residents who have trouble paying heating bills received relief from Washington this week when the Bush administration released $2.8 million for the state from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The funds, which are distributed through state and local agencies, are designed to help low-income, elderly and disabled residents, many of whom spend up to 13 percent of their incomes to heat their homes.

Marie Sanviti, director of Cape Ann's fuel assistance program for Action Inc., is unsure of its effect on the local program. But she was doubtful it would bring in a lot of money to customer accounts.

With oil prices rising in the range of $2 per gallon, Sanviti said this has been one of the worst years in her 16 years in the business.

Most of her customers' benefits were exhausted in December, she said, and high prices have made things difficult.

Customers could get $100 or more in their accounts with funds, Sanviti said, but that is usually not the case.

Neither the offices of Sens. Edward M. Kennedy nor John F. Kerry, both D-Mass., knew how many people in the state or in Essex County would benefit from the additional funds.

The $2.8 million for Massachusetts came from $50 million in emergency funds released this week to those states affected by the cold weather this winter. That is in addition to the $1.8 billion the administration has released since December.

Also, Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly asked the Department of Telecommunications and Energy to extend the ban on gas and electricity service termination through April 30.

"Because of this year's extremely cold weather and major snowstorms, the record high price of fuel and our struggling economy, this is a particularly difficult time for low-income families trying to pay electric and gas heating bills," Reilly said in a letter to Department Chairman Paul Afonso.

State law prohibits utility companies from terminating service for non-payment between Nov. 15 and March 15.

North Shore Community Action Programs Inc., based in Peabody, and Action Inc., based in Gloucester, helps low-income and fixed-income families pay for heat during the winter. NSCAP Inc. can be reached at (978) 531-8810. Action Inc. can be reached at (978) 281-3900.

Correspondent Blake McGurty contributed to this report.