MONROE — People in Green County who may need a little assistance with heating their home or repairing or replacing their furnace during the cold winter months have local options available.
Energy Services Inc., 749 10th Ave. Court, Monroe, is an energy assistance program that moved into Green County two years ago, but has been helping people heat their home since 1982.
The private nonprofit group has a service center in Monroe and works with staff members as well as volunteers.
Executive Director and founder of Energy Services, Inc. Tim Bruer started the nonprofit and works in collaboration with other agencies and utilities nearby and says the agency is a “one stop energy shop” to help people.
He’s passionate about the services it provides to now several counties in the area.
“At the end of the day, we want survival for those in need,” Bruer said. “We want people to come forward and swallow their pride. We work to make this as comfortable as possible.”
Bruer said often they see people compensate for high heating costs by taking an unsafe route, like shutting off their furnaces, using gas ovens or space heaters because they can’t afford LP — but he hopes instead, they’ll reach out for assistance.
The agency is expecting more than $700,000 to be expended for energy related assistance in Green County — and he hopes people will utilize that money to be safe and warm.
Who qualifies?
● Households that pay heating costs directly to a fuel or utility company and have active utility accounts. Households whose heating costs are included in their rent may also qualify.
● Students enrolled at least part time have additional eligibility requirements.
● Households whose total gross income for three months immediately preceding the month of application are at or below the gross income listed.
● Applicants must provide the following: Most recent energy bill, social security numbers, photo ID, written proof of household’s gross income for three months prior to application (payroll stubs, child support printout, unemployment printout, social security benefit verification letter).
Furnaces that need replacement or repair are also handled.
As food and other costs have increased, Bruer said energy costs have been no exception and have also escalated. Oftentimes, they don’t see income levels increase with other increases, making it hard to keep the power on.
“It’s breaking the cycle,” Bruer said of the program. “It’ giving them income to meet other basic needs — like eating.”
Energy Services places a priority on young, working families with children, the disabled and the elderly. It has also played a large role in helping veterans, which happen to be the fastest growing population in Green County, Bruer said.
He said a system that once abandoned veterans is something he works to overcome. Energy Services works closely with local veterans groups through the Keep Wisconsin Warm Fund, a statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated to helping families, seniors and others with limited resources pay their safety bills. They’re able to do that through the participation of utilities, customers and stockholders along with community donors and government matching funds.
The Keep Wisconsin Warm/Cool Fund, a charitable arm of the Energy Services, bridges the gap not met through grants from about 17,000 annual donors. Utilities and energy providers cooperate with Energy Assistance so no one has to be burdened with heating and cooling costs. An application can be completed in about 15 minutes.
He says the participation of utilities, like Alliant Energy and WE Energies is key, and they are the “unsung heroes” by allowing affordable payment plans and assisting in other ways.
Finding the people to utilize the money and services offered by Energy Services isn’t always easy, Bruer said. For some people, it’s a matter of swallowing their pride to ask for help. He hopes that people will reach out for assistance before they are in a crisis.
In order to do that, Bruer has made a call for action for Green County members to stay on the lookout for neighbors, friends or acquaintances who could possibly benefit from the services and encourage them to check into it.
They aim to move into more isolated areas or “poverty pockets” where people may not know about these services, but could greatly be of help to them.
“Over 97% of the people we help are the working poor,” Bruer said. “They’re making just over minimum wage.”
The group started as the first of its kind in Dane County, and Bruer said watching it grow is in part because of their proactive and preventative approach. The organization has already helped more than 1,000 households locally and have seen a 22% increase in participation from last year.
“That’s amazing,” Bruer said. “The level of support and cooperation — this has taken off like nobody could have imagined.”
Through Energy Services Inc, qualifying applicants may receive energy assistance along with home weatherization assistance. Most utility issues are usually resolved in 30 days or less. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program provides one-time payment during the heating season. A household may be eligible for crisis assistance if they have no heat, have received a disconnect notice from the heating vendor or are nearly out of fuel and do not have the money to purchase more. The Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program emergency heating system assistance can provide services to eligible home owners if the furnace or boiler stops operating during the heating season.
Green County residents should call the local service center to schedule an appointment. Energy Services can do home visits for those who are homebound.
Reach out to Energy Services for Green County at 608-328-1111 to receive help with energy needs. Appointments are taken at Energy Services Center, 749 10th Ave. Court, Monroe. May 15 is the last day for the one-time grant program.
