Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Welcome back. There is still time for you to apply for the energy assistance programs through Quincy Community Action Programs. The deadline is April 30, and this year, more than ever, it is needed with this brutally cold, snowy winter that we've been having. So Lauren Rexford from QCAP has stopped on by to tell us how you can do it. Good to see you, Lauren.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: Good to see you too. Thank you for having me today. And yes, there still is time to apply for this program.
I know that eight weeks left in the season to apply through April 30, but now it's a crucial time to apply because utility services will be facing shut off within the next several weeks.
In the state of Massachusetts, they have a state regulated law where between November 15th and March 15th they cannot shut services off.
After March 15th. If folks have not made a payment or a payment plan, they can start coming out after issuing a termination notice to shut that service off.
So Quincy Community Action Energy Programs, we're here to help.
We want to make sure that folks are aware of the program and it's not too late to apply. Even though our program started back on November 1, there's still time to apply and there's several ways to apply.
We don't like to hear that residents are using their stoves, which they should never use their stove to heat their home.
If folks find themselves in that situation, they should definitely contact our office right away.
Also, space heaters. If folks are using space heaters again, please contact our office so that we can do a thorough screening, try to provide you with services, or connect you to other services throughout the community to help reduce your financial burden and help your family stay warm during the winter months.
So our program is an income based program which runs November 1st through April 30th.
Folks can apply multiple ways, but before I get into that, I want to talk about the income guidelines.
So again, you need to be under 60% of the state median income in order to qualify for these programs.
So right now, for households of four, the annual combined gross income, you have to be under $100,000 a year. That's annual combined for a household of four, which is also up to the 60% of the state median income.
How to apply? You can either apply online by going to qcap.org and selecting apply Now.
You do need to set up an account in order to apply online.
It's as simple as putting in your name, address and your email address.
[00:03:13] Speaker A: Okay. Okay.
[00:03:15] Speaker B: It will walk you through a series of questions about your household. You'll do the data Entry.
And the online application also allows you to upload documentation so there's no paper involved.
In order to, you still need to go through an interview process if you apply online.
But it's an easier way for folks that have busy lives. Everyone has busy lives and they may not be able to come in during regular business hours. Hours 8:30 to 4:30, Monday through Friday.
[00:03:49] Speaker A: Right in Quincy Center.
[00:03:51] Speaker B: Right in Quincy Center.
And we offer applications, excuse me, interviews, either over the telephone or in person.
And we leave that up to the individual. Whatever they feel comfortable with will work with them.
[00:04:07] Speaker A: Okay. And we should mention too that it's available to income eligible renters even if your heat is included. And homeowners Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree and Milton.
[00:04:18] Speaker B: That's correct. That's correct, yes. So we service for service areas throughout our community.
And again, to apply you want to call, you can. Again, you can go to the portal online portal qcap.org or contact us directly at 617-657-5301 to schedule an appointment.
Now, once we have the initial interview, it does take up to six weeks to review the application and determine eligibility.
However, if you're determined eligible, we'll go back retroactive to November 1st and assist with the heating costs.
[00:05:04] Speaker A: So don't not pay your bill.
[00:05:07] Speaker B: Definitely try waiting.
[00:05:10] Speaker A: Make some type of arrangement.
[00:05:12] Speaker B: Yes, definitely try to make some type of payments. We encourage any type of payment, no matter how small.
[00:05:20] Speaker A: Don't ignore it.
[00:05:21] Speaker B: Don't ignore it. Pay something.
Because right now our maximum benefit for the season, depending on income eligibility, is up to $1,000 now. $1,000, it's not that much with the cost of heat these days.
[00:05:38] Speaker A: So you can pay more than that in one month.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: Exactly. So it's an assistant program. We lower the cost of the energy burden that you face during these winter months.
So when you apply and you become eligible, it opens the door for other energy savings programs to help stretch your dollars.
[00:06:00] Speaker A: Yeah, I know you love to talk about these because they are important, right?
[00:06:03] Speaker B: They're very important. And again, it's one application for multiple programs that we offer, such as.
So we have a weatherization program that will help insulate the home to reduce that heat loss. They assist with insulation in walls in attics, weather stripping in basements, around doors.
And it's a huge savings.
[00:06:28] Speaker A: People don't realize how much that that makes an impact. It can be. It can really cut down on your heating bill for sure.
[00:06:35] Speaker B: It really does make you more comfortable too. Exactly.
Not only your heating bill, but also your cooling bill. In the summer months, it makes. It's definitely a change.
[00:06:45] Speaker A: You think, oh, you know, what can weather stripping and caulking do? It can do a lot.
[00:06:49] Speaker B: Yes, it really can do a lot.
And it helps your heating assistance dollars go further as well.
[00:06:56] Speaker A: Exactly.
[00:06:57] Speaker B: Another program, if households are approved eligible, is our heating system repair and replacement program.
[00:07:04] Speaker A: You're still doing that?
[00:07:05] Speaker B: We still do that.
If an eligible homeowner finds themselves without heat because their system just won't start, they can call us. We send a fully licensed and insured contractor out to assess the system and determine whether it needs a repair or a replacement. And that is at no cost to the homeowner.
Also, for the weatherizations, I forgot to mention this. It's at no cost to the household, whether you're a renter or an owner. Determined eligible. Yes.
[00:07:41] Speaker A: It's huge.
[00:07:42] Speaker B: It is. It's huge.
Some other energy savings programs that are offered through the utility company, they offer a low income discount rate where one of the qualifications for that is being eligible for the home heating assistance program.
And they offer up to 71% off your monthly utility bill.
[00:08:06] Speaker A: All year round.
[00:08:07] Speaker B: All year round. 12 months. Yes. Which is. It's a great savings. Certainly, again, Quincy community actually wants to help reduce the cost of your energy burden.
And these programs can definitely help your money stretch further.
[00:08:25] Speaker A: Now, Lauren, is this for all types of energy, Natural gas, oil, electric?
[00:08:30] Speaker B: Yes. So the type of heating sources is oil, kerosene, propane, gas, if you heat by gas, if you heat with electricity.
Again, if you use electricity as a secondary heat source, you'll definitely benefit from the discount rate that the utility companies offer.
[00:08:54] Speaker A: Okay. Or some people with heat pumps, that's
[00:08:56] Speaker B: their primary source and their heat pumps. Yes, yes. And that is a lot that we're seeing. A lot of that. A lot of people are switching over to the air source.
[00:09:05] Speaker A: Heat pumps take electricity.
[00:09:08] Speaker B: Yes, yes. And it adds up, certainly. But if the program can help reduce your financial burden and your heating costs, I encourage clients, individuals to apply.
[00:09:22] Speaker A: Yeah. And the benefit is paid directly to the provider, is that right?
[00:09:25] Speaker B: That's right. So there's nowhere no need to send us a bill.
[00:09:31] Speaker A: Right.
[00:09:32] Speaker B: Once the individual or household is approved eligible, we notify our contracted vendors by mail just to let them know the individual is eligible.
And with the dollar amount. Yep. Eversource, National Grid, National Grid Gas, National Grid Electric.
We have over 100 oil companies that participate in the fuel assistance program.
If someone applies that has oil, heat or propane, we have a list of vendors that they can choose from to See which one they want to use.
[00:10:14] Speaker A: If there's dozens, right?
[00:10:16] Speaker B: Yes.
[00:10:16] Speaker A: Although there's a pretty good chance it does.
[00:10:18] Speaker B: If you have so much, most likely they'll be participating. And if they don't, we'll reach out to that contractor and see if they want want to sign a contract.
[00:10:27] Speaker A: And there's no cost to do this, right?
[00:10:29] Speaker B: No, it's free of cost. There's no cost to the households.
It's worth looking into. Some folks may think, I don't need this, but if you find yourself keeping that thermostat very low during the cold temperature months, you should definitely give us a call. Sure.
[00:10:50] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:10:51] Speaker B: It doesn't hurt to call.
And again, it's a free program.
Always ask the question. We can do a thorough screening to determine whether you're going to qualify or not.
There are a series of documentation that you will need to provide us so we can verify income eligibility.
[00:11:09] Speaker A: Okay. Can you maybe talk a little bit about those?
[00:11:11] Speaker B: Sure, sure. We always look at the last 30 days of income, monthly gross income.
So folks will have to provide 30 days of income for every individual that receives some form of income, whether it be wages.
Yes. Pay stubs, if they're on a fixed income, Social Security, ssi, pension or retirement. It's just their monthly veterans benefits as well. Just their monthly statement that they receive.
They also would need to provide us with their utility bills, gas and electric bills so we can ensure that they get that discount rate.
If they're oil heat, they need to let us know who their oil company is.
[00:11:56] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:11:57] Speaker B: Housing and rental costs. We do ask for that information, which could be, you know, mortgage or a lease if you're renting.
If your heat's included, we, we ask for a lease to verify, you know, your heat's included and outlaw outlining what your monthly rent is.
We also ask for proof of citizenship or qualified alien status, which would be, you know, birth certificate or a Social Security card, a green card, anything like that, along with.
[00:12:32] Speaker A: Let's see, so you do have to have legal status.
You don't have to be a US Citizen, but you have to have legal services status. Is that right?
[00:12:39] Speaker B: Any. Anyone can apply. Okay, so it's.
We definitely ask for the citizenship and qualified alien status. There may be a situation where, you know, two out of the five members in the household don't have a qualified alien status, but they can still apply and go on the application.
[00:13:00] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:01] Speaker B: So we definitely encourage folks to apply for the program.
[00:13:03] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:13:05] Speaker B: Either way, even if you're unsure, apply. Sure.
[00:13:08] Speaker A: Now, if you've Applied and been approved in the past. You have to reapply every year?
[00:13:13] Speaker B: Yes.
Once an individual applies, they have to reapply every year. We start mailing out applications late August, early September, just to get a head start on processing the applications.
So once November 1st hits, we can automatically start making payments as of November 1st.
[00:13:33] Speaker A: Okay. All right. And the benefit itself, $1,000 maximum, you said, has that changed over the years?
[00:13:39] Speaker B: It has changed. It has decreased some. It has decreased, yes. Yes. In the past it's been a little bit higher, but again, all those programs that folks would qualify for helps that money go further.
[00:13:54] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:13:55] Speaker B: And stretches that out.
[00:13:56] Speaker A: Well, I know back at the beginning of the season, there was concern there wouldn't be any energy assistance funding available.
[00:14:01] Speaker B: Right, right, right. Due to the government shutdown. But we were still taking applications. We were actively accepting new and old applications.
We had some funding to help in emergency situations where folks might not have had oil as of November 1st or their utility service was shut off because
[00:14:23] Speaker A: it got cold beginning of December and hasn't warmed up at all since.
[00:14:26] Speaker B: No, it hasn't really. It's been cold. We can't wait for spring, but.
So we did have some limited resources then, but now we received our grant, so we are actively making payments, which is great.
Payments. We rely on our utility programs and our oil companies to send us the information so that we can pay them directly.
[00:14:55] Speaker A: Sure. Okay.
[00:14:57] Speaker B: It's really a wonderful program.
I constantly hear it from season to season where folks say, I never knew about this program or I didn't think I would qualify, so I never applied again.
Whether you think you qualify or not, call.
[00:15:18] Speaker A: Absolutely.
[00:15:19] Speaker B: Or visit our website.
You can always get answers.
[00:15:23] Speaker A: Yes.
Which is great.
I think that the telephone assessment and website information is crucial because it answers questions right there and it saves a lot of time.
[00:15:34] Speaker B: Exactly.
[00:15:35] Speaker A: Answers a lot of questions before you even go through the process of applying just to find out if you're eligible or not. And there's no cost?
[00:15:42] Speaker B: Yes, there's no cost.
That's the key. There's no cost to heating assistance, the weatherization program, heating repairs or replacement, and the utility discount. There's no cost in any of that.
[00:15:57] Speaker A: Right. So there's no downside.
[00:15:59] Speaker B: No, there's no downside at all.
[00:16:01] Speaker A: Lauren, I wish you a warmer spring.
[00:16:04] Speaker B: Oh, well, thank you.
[00:16:05] Speaker A: Thanks for stopping by.
[00:16:06] Speaker B: Thank you. Have a good day.
[00:16:08] Speaker A: You, too.
