Utility bills expected to skyrocket this winter

Leroy White is running out of ways to cut energy costs.
Like many people facing the prospect of higher winter utility bills, the Hunnewell man has done just about all he can.
He’s boarded up and caulked windows and converted his furnace from propane to electricity. He plans to install insulation before cold weather hits and turn down the thermostat when it arrives.
Winter heating costs for White, his wife and their four children average $500 a month. He isn’t sure what the family will do if another bitter winter strikes.
“We’ve had to cut down on quite a bit of everything,” said White, who has been out of work since October. “We’re fearing it’s going to be just as bad this winter as it was last winter.”
So do many other residents of the Hannibal area and the agencies that provide help.
Depending upon the fuel source, analysts expect the average energy bill to rise up to $35 a month.
In Hannibal, where a 40 percent electric rate hike is planned in January, the average household customer can expect a monthly increase of $23.
Utilities blame the rising costs on wholesalers. They cite volatile fuel markets.
“Whatever they charge, that’s what we pay,” said Don Willis, general manager of the Hannibal Board of Public Works. “We pass it on. It’s not only in Hannibal, but all over the United States and all over the world.”
The energy assistance season starts Oct. 1. Programs can provide one-time payments or emergency help when a client gets a utility shut-off notice.
The North East Community Action Corporation, which covers 12 counties, had 8,000 requests for energy assistance last winter.
“We expect to do a lot more than that this year,” said Betty Whittaker, a NECAC director. “It’s going to be harder for people to afford to pay their bills. It’s going to be a rough year.”
Douglass Community Services in Hannibal is trying to make up for a grant that wasn’t renewed this year by using donations and other funding until a new grant is approved.
“I anticipate we’re going to see an even greater need this fall and this winter,” said Dave Dexheimer, Douglass executive director.
Dexheimer said a jump in the cost of utilities often leads to an increase in the need for other assistance.
“Folks are having to fall back on the food banks because they’re trying to pay their utility bills,” he said.
Whittaker worries that there won’t be enough utility assistance funding to meet demand.
“We’re trying to make up for that by providing as much education as we can on how to save on utility bills,” she said.
NECAC is offering energy savings classes, working with area businesses to offer free fuel-reduction products and urging clients to sign up for the agency’s home weatherization program.
Utilities and the Missouri Public Service Commission also have cost-cutting information.
White, who got help from NECAC last winter, may install base-board heaters in his family’s house and put a wood stove back in the living room.
“We’ve got to do something to keep it warm,” he said.