Windsor Fuel Bank utility bill assistance

Priority for the Windsor Fuel Bank program is for low to moderate income families that are facing a crisis. This means the service, which is funded by donations, gives priority to families facing a disconnection of their utilities. The assistance for paying energy bills can support people with a medical issue, unexpected financial expense (including car breaking), death of a spouse, and more. It is a “exception” program. It is a last resort when the resident is out of all other options for assistance.

All of the money from this service is the result of donations from the community. This is the sole source of funding. A number of individuals, companies, and even non-profits contribute money to Windsor Fuel Bank. There are a few different ways to donate, as indicated here.

• -One time donations, of any dollar amount-
• -Voluntary enrollment into monthly Round Up, and this can be started or stopped at anytime.
• -Employees and management deductions from pay checks, and the money goes to fund the utility assistance program.

Windsor Fuel Bank will also match many of the donations to the program. There are also federal government as well as state of Connecticut tax benefits for contributing, and this comes in the form of deductions on income taxes.

No matter how someone contributes money to Windsor Fuel Bank (no matter the option above) it is a voluntary process. Each and every cent donated (so 100% of the money) goes to pay for the utility assistance program. It is always voluntary, with no obligation needed from the donor.

 

 

Uses of donations from Windsor Fuel Bank

Each and every dollar and cent collected goes to pay utility bills. It can cover different types of expenses, ranging from electric to gas, heating, and any other need. Funds are paid out year round, in the Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter months. However once the money is gone, it is gone until more donations come in.

There will never be cash handed to an applicant. Instead the money will be applied directly to the customer’s utility bill. It can be done in the form of a credit, or the local energy company may just transfer some of the funds in the Windsor Fuel Bank to the utility account. No matter the process used it will always in effect help pay for some of the utilities that are due.

The assistance will be limited. Only a portion of a bill will be paid. This should not be relied on. Customers should be working towards self-sufficiency, and bring in their own income so they do not need to rely on donations from this or any other program for paying their utility bills.

One of the better aspects of Windsor Fuel Bank is that it does not work independently. What this means is that the funds from the program are combined with other resources, such as LIHEAP grants, social service money, and more. It helps scale up the effectiveness of this donation service.

Applications are accepted by both the company as well as local social service agencies. The different organization work together to provide customers with solutions to their utility needs, whether it is funds from the Bank or some other source. For more information send an email to socialservices@townofwindsorct.com, or to apply, dial Windsor Community Service Council.