Salt Lake City, Utah – Utah is flush with funds to help low-income families pay their energy bills. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Sec. Mike Leavitt Thursday announced the release of $450 million in heat assistance funding for the winter months ahead. Utah’s share is $3,745,228, a 27 percent increase over the current budget of $14 million.
“This money will help us better meet growing demand in northern Utah, including Cache, Morgan, Davis and Weber counties,” said Sherman Roquiero, manager of the state’s Home Energy Assistance Target Program (HEAT).
Applications for assistance in those areas are on track to meet or beat last year’s numbers.
Some regions, however, are seeing fewer applications, including: Salt Lake and Tooele counties, the Uintah Basin and parts of central and southern Utah.
“Statewide, we have 2,000 fewer applications than we did this same time last year,” said Roquiero. “We’ve seen a decline for the past two years, which probably has something to do with the good economy. But we know there are people out there who need our help. Some don’t know about our program, and others are too proud to ask.”
For more information about Utah’s HEAT program, visit: http://community.utah.gov/housing_and_community_development/SEAL/HEAT_program/index.html
