Baby, It’s Cold Outside…

I live in a multi-unit brick building in Brighton, something I’ve never considered particularly auspicious until now. My landlord, for good measure, keeps the furnace pumping all winter long and, on most winter days, I end up having to crack a window open to get some air circulating.  I fear suffocating.  This week, I have been house (and pet) sitting for my sister who lives in a small two-family wooden home in Roslindale.  I have had to get acquainted with the heating system and figure out ways to shut out the drafts of cold air, here and there, that sabotage the heating system’s work.  Never again will I complain about my toasty warm (sometimes steamy) digs again.

As I rushed to get dressed this morning, I remembered some articles in the New York Times that dealt with home heating and utilities and the struggle of many families to stay warm. This article deals with mounting utility arrearages (debt) as families cope with loss of income, and the growing caseload of the federal fuel assistance program (known as LIHEAP -Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program).  Our friends at the National Consumer Law Center were interviewed for the article.

The following is an editorial that delves into the surge in LIHEAP cases as an immediate consequence of the recession, in spite of relatively stable energy prices.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/28/opinion/28mon2.html

If you are seeking assistance, the Massachusetts Attorney General publishes a resource guide for people seeking information about home heating assistance and energy conservation, which I find very informative.  You can also call Mass 2-1-1 for a referral.

Let’s do our part to keep families warm in their homes: give, advocate, volunteer… it will keep you warm inside.