Offer help paying utilities

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning-Youngs-town Community Action Partnership urges Mahoning County residents to take advantage of the agency’s Energy Assistance Services.

MYCAP’s new office hours at its Youngstown office, 1325 Fifth Ave., are 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

The Sebring office is open from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays except for holidays. Sebring- area residents can schedule appointments by calling 330-938-6166 or using the Interactive Voice Response system toll free at 866-223-1125.

Energy assistance services include:

Winter Crisis Program, which runs through March 31 at MYCAP. This program is for income eligible households who have had utility service terminated; face the threat of disconnection; or have less than a 25 percent supply of bulk fuel.

Potential applicants must call the IVR system to schedule a face-to-face appointment at the MYCAP office in Youngstown. The line is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A limited number of walk-ins, whose service(s) have been disconnected, will be serviced daily beginning at 8 a.m. Bulk-fuel users may walk in to MYCAP either at 8 a.m. or 1 p.m. during weekdays.

Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), which runs through May 31. This federally funded program, administered by the Ohio Development Services Agency, is designed to help eligible, low-income Ohioans with the high costs of home heating. People do not need to have a disconnection notice to apply. Homeowners and renters are eligible for assistance; however, there is a one-time credit applied to the energy bill or fuel vendor.

Potential applicants must call the IVR system to schedule an appointment at the Youngstown MYCAP office. Applications are available throughout the community, including MYCAP, and are also available by calling toll free at 800-282-0880.

Two other Energy Assistance Programs to help residents with their bills are:

Percentage of Payment plus (PIPP) (year round).

Potential applicants must call the IVR system to schedule an appointment at the Youngstown MYCAP office.

Electric Partnership Program (EPP) (year round).

This program is designed to improve the electric efficiency of low-income households who participate in PIPP Plus by performing in-home audits; focusing on refrigeration and lighting to lower electric usage. Potential applicants must schedule an appointment using the PIPP option on the IVR.

For information about these programs, call MYCAP Monday through Thursday between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. at 330-747-7921, or visit the office.