Published: August 05, 2008 12:41 pm            

Hot planning on chilling stats

Last week’s heating summit in Richland Township was perhaps one of the most important brainstorming sessions our area has seen in years.

Thanks go to those individuals and agencies making time to attend – and to care – and especially to William McKinney, president and chief officer, and his United Way of the Laurel Highlands group for organizing the session.

If you haven’t been part of a recent discussion lamenting high fuel prices and what they could translate into for heating our homes this winter, perhaps you’re living in a cave.

There’s no question our region’s elderly and others living on low or fixed incomes will be greatly challenged to pay heating bills. But filling a 500- to 1,000-gallon fuel-oil tank at $4-plus a gallon won’t be easy for middle-income workers, either.

The bottom line is that home heating-oil prices have jumped by 70 percent in two years, and hard-coal prices are expected to be around $190 to $200 a ton plus delivery, up $15 to $20 a ton from 2007, leaving crisis workers bracing for a deluge of requests for help this winter.

And it isn’t just worries about heating-fuel costs. It is anticipated that folks will be digging deeper this winter to pay high utility bills, including electricity, and to buy food and prescription drugs.

The nation’s economic downturn is affecting a lot of people in a lot of ways.

The McKinney-arranged summit brought together government and social service agency workers from Cambria and Somerset counties. They put their heads together and after three hours came to an obvious conclusion: A lot of work needs to be done in a relatively small amount of time.

“We are going to be in crisis here,” said Marilyn Albright, director of the Salvation Army service center in Somerset County.

Probably no one was surprised by her assessment.

Among the problems officials will need to address initially and quickly are:

How many families are expected to need help?

From where will the funding come?

Who or what group will serve to coordinate the effort locally?

Coordination is crucial for all agencies working with those at risk of losing their heat in the winter, said Art DiLoreto, administrator of the Somerset County Area Agency on Aging.

“I’d like to see the agencies get together and come up with an integrated agenda,” DiLoreto said.

“This is going to be a hot issue for consumers. We should come up with a point of contact.”

We agree.

But no matter where they call, those fearing shutoffs should be told to contact their utility companies first, representatives from Dominion Peoples gas and Penelec advised.

All regulated utilities are required to offer assistance to low-income customers, the representatives said.

It’s not too early for people who anticipate a problem paying heating-related bills to contact Dominion Peoples or Penelec officials.

And certainly there are many agencies serving Cambria or Somerset counties that could help with financial aid or other assistance.

It could be a rough winter for a lot of people, and we’re pleased our officials are coming together to map a plan to address the worst fears.

        

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