The first floor of a two-story South Side house is toasty, but when you venture to the upper level, a chill is in the air. “I have plastic on my windows behind the curtains. I put towels against the bottom of the doors. I do everything I can to keep
The Morgan Park resident said she knows that ‘heat rises,’ but it’s rising out of her home, despite all of her attempts to keep it inside. When she heard that Peoples Energy was going to raise its customers’ bills this month, she was angry. “I do everything to keep my bill as low as I can. I set the thermostat below 60 degrees when I’m not home; at night I set it barely about 70 degrees.
What else could I possibly do?” Keith asked. Recently, the Illinois Commerce Commission unanimously approved a rate hike by Peoples Energy, catching customers off guard. The increase will tack on about $7 to a customer’s monthly bill, beginning later this month.
This is the first rate increase by Peoples Energy in 12 years. Information about the rate changes will be included in customers’ February and March bills. Keith said her monthly bill averages about $300, more than she can afford to pay. “I’m struggling to pay my gas bill each month, so the last thing I want to hear is that they are raising the cost,” she said.
A spokesperson for Peoples Energy said that financial assistance is still available for anyone having trouble with paying their bills. “There is plenty of money available. All they need to do is make that phone call,” Bonnie Johnson, spokesperson for the energy giant said. Johnson said the federal government gave the state $29 million and Bank of America gave the city $650,000 to dole out for energy assistance.
“The money is available through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. If people don’t apply for this money, the funds will be used for something else.We don’t want that to happen. People need to step up and make that phone call,” Johnson said. If customers are ineligible for the funds, they need to call Peoples Energy and try to get on the budget payment plan.
Customers on the plan pay a fixed amount monthly, year-round, based on their average monthly usage, she said. A West Side resident currently pays about $400 a month on the budget payment plan, and said it’s the best option for her. “I’d rather pay the same amount all year round than to pay a huge amount for about four months out of the year.
The only drawback is that you end up paying for more than you use in the spring and summer months. But, it keeps my monthly budget under control,” Shenita Thomas said.
For more information about applying for financial assistance, contact the Community and Economic Development Association at (800) 571-2332 or visit www.keepingUwarm.com. Peoples Energy serves about 830,000 customers in the city.
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