Keeping Illinois Cool? No Sweat
Program helps low-income citizens pay for air conditioning
By KRISTIN NEHLS
Updated 1:18 PM CST, Tue, Jul 28, 2009
If you think you’ve got it bad enough this summer with a lighter wallet than in years past, imagine also waking up stuck to your sheets with sweat.
Gross, right?
It’s one less thing low-income residents in Illinois have to worry about. Now low-income citizens can apply for state assistance to pay for their summer air conditioning bills.
The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity announced Monday that financial summer energy assistance is now available through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The new program will help pay for utility bills for households with incomes of up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level.
Director Warren Ribley said the state wants “to help even more people keep the air on, reduce their utility costs and save energy.”
Hot conditions in the home can be dangerous and even life-threatening, Ribley said. All residents – especially vulnerable residents and senior citizens – should stay cool in the summer heat.
Eligible residents can reach the “Keep Cool Illinois” program at 877-411-09276.
We don’t need the temperature to tell us how cool we are here in Illinois ... but keeping the thermometer down can’t hurt either.
First Published: Jul 7, 2009 9:40 AM CST
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