Our CityLife
Community Care Energy Mentor recently met with a new client who was
experiencing significant stress from her overdue utility bills. As she sat with
the mentor with her utility bills in front of her, she hung her head low and
spoke very quietly with tear-filled eyes. She explained that as her rent
continued to rise, she was struggling to pay her utility bills, which lead to
her turning off her lights and heating at night, and she even started to wash
herself in collected rainwater in attempt to save costs. Her electricity, gas
and water bills were all overdue. Over the course of 2 meetings and a couple of
follow-up phone calls in between, the Energy Mentor was able to review her
utility accounts. They discovered that the client’s concession entitlements had
not been applied and some charges were based on estimated reads, rather than
actuals (which were lower). They were also able to apply for a Utility Relief
Grant for all three utilities, which were all approved! These adjustments had
cleared all of her debts, and she was thrilled! By the end of the second
meeting, the client was much brighter and said she felt hopeful for her future.
She smiled and shared that she was certainly enjoying warm showers and having
the heat on again!