Del Norte Senior Center representatives are urging those who use wood as their main heating source to fill out an application to see if they qualify for assistance.

The senior center’s Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program helps seniors pay their electricity bills and heat their homes, Executive Director Charlaine Mazzei said. Though it’s still summer, Mazzei said immediate appointments are available now, especially for those who use wood to heat their homes.

“Our wood vendors have wood right now,” she said Thursday. “It’s easy for them to get it when it’s not raining. It’s harder to get it in December and January when it’s wet and cutters can’t get to where they go.”

New funding for 2020 will start becoming available in October, Mazzei said. The number of people applying for assistance through the program has slowed over the summer, but she said folks should stock up on wood before winter sets in.

The Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program can also help those who use propane, heating oil, kerosine or other fuels as their main heating source, Mazzei said.

According to Mazzei, there’s a finite of money available in the Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program, though for the last two years the senior center has had enough funding to help everyone. Last year they offered electricity and heating assistance to 918 households, she said.

The Low-Income Household Energy Assistance Program is a federal program. Applications are available on the Del Norte Senior Center website. The application must be completed, signed and returned to the senior center along with a copy of the most recent energy bill.

For more information, call (707) 464-9013 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

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