SMU Project Share utility assistance

Utility bill assistance is available from Project share as the result of fund raisers held in the Spencer Municipal Utilities (SMU) community, donations, and matching grants from the corporate trustees. The program, which is a Neighbor Helping Neighbor service, involves social service agencies as well as SMU providing one time energy bill assistance when all other options have failed.

The assistance from the program is only an option if/when the household has no other resources available to them. They therefore need to have used up LIHEAP cash grants, contacted local charities such as the Salvation Army for utility bill help, cut back on their power usage, and explored other alternatives too. If/when all this has been done will the Spencer Municipal Utilities Project Share program be an option.

In addition, there is a formal, somewhat strict application process in place. Since it is paid for by donations from the community, the process is used to ensure that only certain families get energy bill help. Applications will factor in household income, the family size, etc. The general guidelines will be similar to those for LIHEAP. Meaning income cut-offs are similar, and scale up based on family size.

The Spencer Municipal Utilities Project Share donation program can make some exceptions though. From time to time, if the applicant has a crisis, they may still be approved for emergency utility bill assistance. Even in these cases cash will not be paid out though, but rather a credit will be placed on the family’s account.

Any financial aid is combined with other measures. So a cash grant from the donation service will go towards helping to pay a portion of a past due energy bill, but the applicant will also go through a formal case management intake process. This will cover budgeting, free energy conservation measures to take for their home or apartment, employment needs, information on government benefits, and much more.

 

 

SMU Project Share provides this case management process to ensure the customer gets back on track. They do not want the family to fall behind on their utility bills again in the future. And they do not want a shut off to take place. So multiple avenues are used, along with the donations, to get the person back on the track to financial stability.

When it comes to SMU Project Share Neighbor Helping Neighbor, as noted it uses donations. Anyone who gives to it will gain an income tax deduction. They will also have confidence that their generous contribution will go, 100% towards, helping a deserving family pay their utility bill. As the application process involves screening to cut out fraud and waste, and ensure funds go to the right place.

Donations can come in any form, fashion, or amount. Customers seeking to contribute can have their monthly bill rounded up to the nearest whole dollar amount, with that increment the “donated” amount. Or they can decide to make a one time contribution to the program. Another option is to work with a local social service agency and give back by using one of their fund raisers.

The bottom line is that one of the main resources in the community, for both helping the less fortunate by giving back and for helping customers keep their power on is Spencer Municipal Utilities Project Share. It provides short, and long term assistance in the form of case management, to help people pay their energy bills.