Arrange for Them to Obtain a Home Energy Audit or Energy Bill Assistance.
Healthcare costs aren’t the only things that are skyrocketing. High energy costs are making it increasingly difficult for seniors to pay their utility bills.
And it’s not only their bank accounts that are suffering. Their health is too. In order to keep their bills low, seniors turn their thermostats down in the cold winter months and boost them up in the summer. Every year there are tragic reports of seniors dying from exposure.
This doesn’t have to happen. There are government programs that provide financial assistance. Unfortunately, seniors are often unaware of them or unwilling to ask for help.
If you visit a senior and notice that their home feels especially cold or unusually warm, ask if they are having problems with their furnace or paying their utility bills. If the problem appears to be financial, put them in touch with the utility company. The utility can put them on budget billing to spread the cost out over a year. Depending on income, he/she might also qualify for financial assistance from LEAP, the government’s Low-Income Energy Assistance Program. Every state offers this program and applications can be obtained on-line, by mail or at social service organizations.
If the problem is energy-related, see if your local utility will conduct a free home energy audit. The audit will show where the house is losing or gaining heat and provide practical tips on how to improve the home’s energy efficiency. There are simple things you can do as well. Take a look around the house. You may spot some obvious problems such as lack of weather stripping. Installing weather stripping is easy and inexpensive. All you need is a few tools and minimal technical skills.
Whatever you do, don’t wait for June or November to roll around. The earlier you start, the sooner they can start saving on their energy bills.
