By Sean Fogarty, Courier Staff Writer:
With energy costs
rising just as residents prepare for a grim heating season, North
Haven has taken steps to ensure nobody will be left in the cold.
Residents interested
in learning about these assistance options should set aside Saturday, Oct. 4
from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for an energy assistance and savings presentation at North Haven middle school.
The presentations
will include representatives from United Illuminating, Southern Connecticut
Gas, Clean Energy Task Force, North Haven Community Oil Co-op, and the
Connecticut Department of Public Utility Control.
North Haven
Community Services and Recreation Director Gerardo Sorkin has organized the
event to educate residents about the various programs offered by the utility
companies in the Greater New Haven area.
“We identify this as
one of the top concerns for North Haven
residents,” said Sorkin. “We are making appointments for energy assistance
programs and the phones are ringing a lot.
We want to make sure residents know what type of help is available.”
An integral part of
the effort is the Community Action Agency of New Haven, an organization that
looks to help with energy assistance in the Greater New Haven Area.
According to Sorkin,
”the phones have been very busy because we are one of the sites that collect
information on the energy assistance program administered by the Community
Action Agency of New Haven. Residents give us a call, we book a time to meet
with them, and we begin the hearings on Oct. 1,” said Sorkin.
While the Oct. 4
event is a great way to learn about assistance offers in town, Sorkin said
residents with questions about energy assistance but can’t attend the
presentation should call 203-239-2566. Homebound individuals can call the
community services office and a representative from the New Haven Community
Action Agency will come discuss options at their home.
North Haven program
administrator Dan Riccio has been sitting down with North
Haven residents for four years and discussing energy programs and
has said that this year more than 1,000 people from the Greater New Haven Area
have already taken advantage of the programs.
“Once they call and
make an appointment, we will put them in the book. They have to bring the pertinent information,
relevant bank statements, checking and savings information, pensions, any money
markets, CDs, anything equitable as far as assets are concerned. If they are
retired, they will bring copies of their social security checks,” Riccio said.
“All residents will need to bring a copy of their current UI bill so we can see
their usage. Also, residents who will be applying for oil heating will need to
make sure their oil company is part of the Community Action Agency.”
Riccio said the list
of affiliated oil vendors for 2008 will soon be available; contact the office
can be contacted.
Operation Fuel is another
program aimed to help insulate people from the cold. Families earning up to
$48,787 are eligible for Operation Fuel assistance; call 203-387-7700 for
information. Oil deliveries begin on Nov. 1.
“The cost of energy
is really a concern and we want to make sure the residents of North Haven have
the best possible information and know about the different entitlements,
resources, and options they have in terms of saving energy, utilizing state
programs, and ways they can look at their energy and make decisions,” said Sorkin.