Central Missouri Community Action (CMCA) has several programs that can help low-income earners with home winterization or give a boost through utility bill assistance.

Taylor Eisterhold and Taylor Williams with CMCA both spoke at the recent Audrain County Municipalities meeting on Jan. 29, about programs their group offers. 

Eisterhold led off and talked about a free energy savings program through the U.S. Department of Energy and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. The goal of the program is to lower utility bills while making homes safer, healthier, and more comfortable. The program is income driven and applicants must be below 200 percent of the poverty line. Last year the poverty line was $14,580 for an individual and $30,000 for a family of four. Homes must not have been winterized in the last 15 years to qualify.

Once approved for the program an energy auditor will come to the person’s home and run a series of tests including on all appliances. The test results are inputted into a computer that comes up with a plan of solutions. Eisterhold said some people can get into situations where the only solutions make the problem worse.

“This past winter I’ve seen a lot of people calling saying they don’t have heat and they’re running space heaters throughout the thing so their electric bills are super high,” Eisterhold said.

The current wait list is about six to nine months out. Tad Dobyns with CMCA was also at the meeting and said folks should start thinking about next winter now.

“It’s really one of those things to think about proactively,” Dobyns said.

Williams spoke about CMCA’s utility assistance programs that help low-income and elderly residents with energy bills in the winter and summer months.  Since October her office has processed close to 5,000 applications. CMCA also has an emergency utility shut-off program for those who need immediate assistance.

For immediate help applicants must provide a disconnect notice. Williams said applications are processed in the order they are received by crisis but someone who is currently without power will get bumped up the list.

“Those without power will always come first,” Williams said. “We don’t want people to get shut off.”

Applications can be picked up and dropped off or mailed to 800 N. Providence Road, Columbia, MO, 65203, and there is a drop box. CMCA also has an energy assistance line at 573-200-6655.