Feature Article February 5, 2003
LAND O' LAKES NewsWeb HomeHeating costs hurt familiesby Jeff GreenA number of people have contacted Northern Frontenac Community Services (NFCS) in recent weeks looking for help in dealing with increased fuel costs this winter.
Id say the number of requests for help are about double the number from last year, says Linda Rush, director of Adult Services for NFCS. The problem has occurred for people using any kind of heating system, as fuel prices are high.
Unfortunately we dont have much in the way of resources with which to help people in this predicament, says Joyce Lewis of NFCS, and those resources we do have are already stretched."
For those heating with propane, the cost has gone up by about 50% this year, according to Tracy Keefe-Riddell, a resident of Sharbot Lake. It is costing me $100 per week to heat this winter, she added, which could mean a cost of $1,600 for the winter. On one income with two kids, its not easy to cover the costs.
Requests from the Food Bank in Sharbot Lake have risen dramatically in January, according to Joyce Lewis.
The situation in South Frontenac is much the same, according to Beth Freeland, director of Rural Visions in Sydenham. Although Rural Visions does have two programs that can provide assistance for cash-strapped families, they arent designed to cover for extreme shortfalls. The Tenant Assistance Program in some cases provides loans to help with rent and mortgage costs, and is available for residents of South, Central, and North Frontenac.
As well, for South Frontenac residents we have the Community Caring Fund, using money raised through the sale of gently used clothing. It can provide up to $200 for families, and $100 for individuals, to help with housing and medical needs, Beth Freeland said
Alice Gorter, who administers the Ontario Works program in Northbrook, said she cant tell if there are more people running into trouble paying for heating this year over last year. However, she said, that may be because last year there was nothing I could offer for people who were having problems, whereas this year there is a new program.
The Housing Assistance Program in Lennox & Addington is providing some assistance. It will cover: 50% of the cost of oil (with a $250 ceiling), 50% for tank replacement (with a $500 ceiling), or 50% of a furnace replacement (with a $1500 ceiling).
Its not a grant program, however, Gorter is quick to point out, the money is available on a pay-back basis. It also requires those seeking assistance to have the first 50% in cash before the program kicks in."
Families who are recipients of Ontario Works receive a maximum of $602 per month for housing and shelter. Mary Beth Webster, an Ontario Works administrator based at the NFCS Office in Sharbot Lake, says the first thing we do with families who run into difficulties is look to see if their housing allowance is the maximum. If it isnt, we can raise it to help them with heating, but in most cases they are already at the $602 maximum. If a family is paying $600 for rent, they only have $2 left for heating, so the heating costs can only come out of their food budgets.
Further compounding the problem for people who heat with oil are the costs of new fuel tanks. In some cases, people have been forced by insurance companies to replace oil tanks that are over 20 years old, regardless of their condition.
A representative of a local oil company said that, while prices are high, they are not higher than they were at points last year. What really has made the difference in use this year has been the cold weather since November. And then there is the cost of new oil tanks that have resulted from the demands insurance companies have put on the homeowners. Weve been really busy putting oil tanks in because of the decisions of insurance companies.
For people on assistance and for the working poor, the extra costs of heating their homes this winter can mean the difference between making ends meet or not, concludes Joyce Lewis.
