Hudson Valley residents visited Dutchess BOCES’ main conference center for the Utility Bill Clinic earlier this month to learn if they were eligible for various utility assistance options and other costs.
Sponsored by Assemblymember Didi Barrett and the Public Utility Law Project, a nonprofit advocating on behalf of low-income residential utility customers, attendees were provided with help filling out applications and connected with programs helping to reduce energy bills and other costs.
Barrett’s office has worked with the Public Utility Law Project on prior initiatives and when she heard it had done a similar event in the Capital Region, her office worked with the organization’s staff to hold the clinic at BOCES.
“Certainly the issues that have been on most people’s minds these days have to do with utility costs and energy prices,” Barrett said. “PULP is an amazing resource.”
Other organizations and businesses, including Central Hudson, Dutchess Outreach, Cornell Cooperative Extension, Dutchess BOCES Adult Learning Institute and others were invited to join the clinic to help residents if they needed it. Barrett noted that if residents are struggling with utility bills they might be struggling with other matters, such as access to food.
“That to me is one of the most shocking things in this region when we’re surrounded by farms to have so many people who are struggling with food access,” Barrett said. “If people are struggling with some other issue you can take them over to one of the other tables and get answers right away.”
The organization’s Executive Director and Counsel Laurie Wheelock described the clinic as a great way for residents to get help in resolving concerns surrounding utility bills, housing and other related matters in one space.
“Utilities and housing go together like peanut butter and jelly,” Wheelock said. “There were a lot of people coming in with high bills, just wanting to understand why the usage is high and what they can do … we walked them through, looked at their bills and directed them to resources.”
Wheelock encourages people to follow the organization’s website and encourages them to reach out to them with issues at info@utilityproject.com or call 877-669-2572. She appreciated the steady turnout of residents stopping by.
“We’re happy with one, but if you have 20, 30 people, it makes our whole day,” Wheelock said.
Eunice Johnson went around to all the tables and appreciated the help Central Hudson and Cornell Cooperative Extension gave to determine the cause of why her energy bill was as high as her gas bill.
“They said it may be my furnace, it’s coming on, but it’s not actually putting out because I may have insulation problems and that makes a lot of sense,” Johnson explained. “I really enjoyed talking to the people; they’re very knowledgeable about what they’re doing.”
Cecilia Lopez appreciated the clinic where she learned that the Dutchess County Office for the Aging has a vehicle that could take her wheelchair-bound mother to a grocery store and other locations for $1 a ride.
“That’s a big help because I still work … all of these agencies were very helpful and I got a few tips that I’m going to look into,” Lopez said. “I’m very grateful.