LaFollette Utilities Caring Neighbors utility assistance programs

The LaFollette Utilities Caring Neighbors program is used to help qualified low income, working poor, and senior customers pay their utility bills. The resource, which is paid for from donations from private citizens, corporations that are local to the area, and even employees is one of the assistance programs that is available as a last resort. The finds can help pay for everything from electric to heating bills, gas, light costs, and other utilities.

The application process is done in partnership with local charities as well as social service agencies. There are partnerships with local groups including community action agencies as well as the Salvation Army among others. All of the agencies help screen applicants to ensure the funds go to the correct customers and are allocate for the correct use.

These different groups also also involved in collecting these voluntary donations to help pay for the resource, so they assist in various aspects of the program. For example there are volunteers who often hold fund raisers for LaFollette Utilities Caring Neighbors. There can be bake sales, donations collected by groups such as Boy or Girl Scouts, advertisements created to encourage donations to the service and much more.

The goal is to offer an assistance program of last resort. The funds can help pay energy bills when a low income customer is in a crisis, or maybe hold them over while they wait on a pay check or LIHEAP grant to come through from the federal government. LUB Caring Neighbors is a form of short term support. If there is a family that needs more long term aid, this is not the program for them. Instead they should serious explore other options, and LIHEAP may be one of the main ones for them.

 

 

Now since LaFollette Utilities Caring Neighbors only uses donations, the amount of aid is limited. It is usually available in tens or at most hundreds of dollars. So often what will happen is some other type of program will be combined with it as well. As there needs to be more help given. Some of the solutions are listed below.

• One is a payment plan. As LaFollette Utilities (LUB) is often willing to give the customer more time to pay one or more of their outstanding energy bills.
• Another options will be some type of abatement, which may suspend the bills for a period of time.
• There are also cut off protection plans for medical reasons.

All of these various solutions can be combined with donations from Caring Neighbors. At the end of the day their may be some relief for the household so they can get back on track. This can often be critical to preventing a shut off of their utility service. All of this financial aid can help keep the lights or heat on for an at risk senior citizen, or maybe a parent with young kids at home.

The customer service team at LaFollette Utilities (LUB) can provide more information on both how to apply to the service as well as how to donate. As the process will differ for both. Contributions can be done using monthly round up services of a dollar or two or one time contributions, while applications can be done at local social service agencies or over the phone as well. For more details on all of this, dial (423) 562-3316.