Rising energy costs add pressure on organizations in Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — As the temperature drops, the cost to heat your home goes up. With soaring energy prices, that cost is expected to be even higher this year.
That could mean more people seeking help and more pressure on organizations who provide relief.
“The trendline has been on the increase, especially since the pandemic,” the executive director at St. Vincent de Paul Indianapolis, Peter Zubler, said.
According to Citizens Energy Group, people in Indianapolis who depend on natural gas to heat their homes will likely see higher bills this winter.
“A lot of people are seeking assistance that never think they needed it, so that’s why we get the people that we’ve never seen before and the numbers start to rise,” career coach at John Boner Community Center, Nicholas Calvert, said.
Organizations like the Edna Martin Christian Center in collaboration with John Boner Community Center, as well as St. Vincent de Paul Indianapolis that provide energy assistance say calls are pouring in.
“We get thousands of calls that come in every month and of those, we’re able to serve probably in the hundreds of families that call and request support, but our resources are limited,” Zubler said.
Citizens Energy Group says it expects natural gas heating bills to increase on average by $18 per month for the five-month winter heating season.
The company says prices have been on the rise since Russia invaded Ukraine.
“There’s inflation and with inflation, there doesn’t necessarily come a pay increase, so people are getting more into a hole making the same amount of money when everything is going up,” Calvert said.
The St. Vincent de Paul Indianapolis says generally on average they are able to provide over $200 per family household.
That number might fall as more and more people ask for help.
“It really depends on demand, so the number of folks in desperate need of support really dictates how much on average we’re able to dispense per household,” Zubler said.
They’re depending on donations from the community to help as many people as they can.
“If donations come in that we’re able to directly support the rental assistance and utility assistance, then that number can change of course,” Zubler said.
If you need help, you can contact the Marion County Energy Assistance program. The deadline to apply is May 15, 2023.
Executive director at St. Vincent de Paul Indianapolis, Peter Zubler:
“Our data indicates that roughly $450k in utility relief was provided by Saint Vincent de Paul to Indianapolis households over a 12-month period. This represents only a fraction of the need that exists. To realistically make a dent in the demand for assistance we would need to increase our donations 10x that number. We also know that many households, especially as winter approaches, will forgo rent payments to keep their heat on. Saint Vincent de Paul over the same 12 month period also provided $145k in housing assistance/eviction prevention in these situations. The two really go hand in hand. To summarize, between housing and utility assistance, we have dispensed nearly $600k total to help prevent a catastrophic event, like the loss of a utility and/or eviction, from occurring. Again, this only meets a fraction of the requests for assistance.”
To donate to the St. Vincent de Paul Indianapolis, you can visit its website or call 317-921-1405. For those in need of utility assistance, you should call the organization’s helpline at 317-687-0169 in English or 317-687-0167 in Spanish.