Even before Old Dominion Power proposed a 23% increase to its electric rates in far Southwest Virginia, utility bills across the coalfields have been going up.
Old Dominion, which provides electric service to 28,000 customers in the region, hiked its rates last year by 11.12%. Powell Valley Electric Cooperative raised rates by $4 per month for residential customers in April. Appalachian Power Co. sought to raise its rates by $9 in May, but under a proposed compromise with state regulators, said rates would freeze for a year; costs could still increase later.
At the same time, groceries and gas prices are at record highs. As the winter months approach, there are a number of organizations gearing up to provide fuel assistance in the coalfield counties of Lee, Scott, Wise, Dickenson, Buchanan, Russell and Tazewell and the city of Norton.
Mountain Empire Older Citizens fund
On Tuesday, Mountain Empire Older Citizens began accepting applications for its emergency fuel fund.
The program, which runs through March 31, helps older adults heat their homes in the winter months. They can assist with electric bills, said Care Coordinator Tiffany Jacobs, or provide an equivalent amount for alternative heating methods, such as wood or propane.
Assistance is equal to about a month of fuel assistance and is available one time per winter. The group typically provides up to $350 toward an electric bill, but if a resident has a larger bill, the organization can pay the amount in full, she added.
“We try to encourage them to wait [for when] they have a larger bill,” Jacobs said. “But they are getting a lot more expensive … we have people call in at the beginning and then again at the end of the cycle, when they still have high bills.”
Residents of Lee, Scott and Wise counties and the city of Norton who are 60 and older can qualify if their household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, which would be $1,995 per month for one person or $2,705 for two people.
Interested residents can call the organization or apply online. You should have your contact information, household size and income available, and an account number if help is needed with an electric bill.
Program for customers of APCo and Old Dominion Power
Some community agencies in the region administer a funding program that helps customers of APCo and Old Dominion Power. APCo calls the program Neighbor to Neighbor, and Old Dominion Power calls it WinterShare.
The programs, administered by the Dollar Energy Fund based in Pittsburgh, help those whose household income is at or below 150% of the federal poverty level with assistance one time per year. The fund has an income calculator online.
APCo customers can receive up to $300, and Old Dominion Power customers can receive up to $250. Anyone who applies is required to have paid at least $100 in utilities in the past 90 days, coordinators at several local agencies said.
Lynn Lane, an intake specialist at Appalachian Community Action and Development Agency, which has offices in Jonesville and Gate City, said that sometimes the program is restarted and she can get two payments in for a customer per year. But if the balance is larger than the amount the program covers, she said, the customer can’t qualify for assistance until the bill is paid down.
Lane said it doesn’t matter which county you live in — if you are a customer of either of the two utilities, you can call her organization. Clinch Valley Community Action in North Tazewell and Family Crisis Center in Norton also administer this program.
Family Crisis Center in Norton
Family Crisis Center in Norton has helped pay utility bills through the Virginia Eviction Reduction Pilot program ever since the state allocated funding for the program in 2020.
The program has served thousands of households across the state by using funds to pay delinquent rent and utilities for up to six months for qualifying households. Funding through the Family Crisis Center has grown through the years, Director Marybeth Adkins said, and this year the $776,000 awarded has helped serve nearly 700 households so far.
New money for the program will be awarded in January, but Adkins said the group has been running extremely low on funds since September.
Across the utility assistance the center administers, “We’re down to almost nothing, which is very fearful for November and December,” she said. “We’ve gotten low on funds at the end of the year, but never like this.”
Still, Adkins said the eviction reduction program is crucial for the area, since many renters who can’t pay their utilities are then evicted. The crisis center serves the coalfields and also Bristol and Washington County through this program.
It takes creativity to meet the need: In November, the center starts getting donations for the holidays, and Adkins said the group will see if other agencies on the grant have leftover money. Staffers call localities to find out the cutoff date on someone’s power — in December, the center is able to pledge payments that can be fulfilled later when new funding comes in January.
Individuals and households qualify if they have incomes at or below 80% of area median income, which is designed to help households that “earn too much to qualify for traditional safety-net programs but not enough to remain stably housed,” according to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development. In Norton, that would be $41,495, according to the U.S. Census.
Interested renters should contact the Family Crisis Center. You can call, walk in or use the chat feature on the website.
Options from utility companies and other tips
APCo administers multiple programs for customers to help lower their bills, including a low-income weatherization program and energy efficiency kits that might include new shower heads or smart thermostats.
The company also participates in the Percentage of Income Payment Program, which allows customers whose income is at or below 150% of the poverty level to pay 10% of their monthly income if they heat their homes with electricity. Interested customers can apply through the state.
An Old Dominion Power spokesperson pointed to its partnerships with local agencies for fuel assistance, which can be found online, and it has a library of energy-saving tips for customers.
Powell Valley Electric does not offer any personal assistance but works alongside county social services.
Those who need assistance can also turn to their local churches and food pantries, employees at local agencies said. Kevin Barnett, the vice mayor of Gate City and the president of Scott County Christian Social Ministry, said his ministry provides free firewood for families in need and helps pay utility bills with proceeds from the thrift store it runs.
If you need electricity or heat for medical reasons, such as for oxygen machines or keeping insulin cold, call your utility, Lane said. She also encouraged people to attend local municipal meetings to speak out against electric rate increases.
Liz Lester, who works for Clinch Valley Community Action, said calling 211 can help anyone in Virginia connect with local resources for housing and food assistance.
Organizations often have to work together to help keep people’s lights on, agency employees said, and many of the programs they offer are funded through community donations.
Of the latest rate increase proposal, Jacobs said, “It’s going to take organizations coming together to care for individuals and keep them warm.”
