Be Prepared for Mother Nature's Spring Surprises

DENVER - March 22, 2017 - PRLog -- Mother Nature loves to play tricks on Coloradans – especially in March.

In spite of the recent unseasonably warm and dry weather, the average Denver snowfall for the month is 11 inches, according to U.S. Climate Data. Energy Outreach Colorado is ready to help vulnerable Coloradans stay warm and safe should one of those soggy spring snowstorms blast through the state.

Even during milder winters, nearly 1 in 4 Coloradans can't afford to keep up with their basic needs – including home energy bills – as recently reported by the Colorado Center on Law and Policy (http://cclponline.org/pub_library/2016-state-of-working-colorado/). Since Oct. 1, 2016, Energy Outreach has made nearly 8,000 payments to energy providers to help qualifying low-income families and seniors avoid being disconnected.

Of the Colorado households Energy Outreach assisted, about 57 percent were impacted by unemployment, 28 percent included a disabled family member and 12 percent included a senior citizen. More than 70 percent rented their homes and nearly 15 percent lived in mobile or trailer homes. Most telling, nearly half are qualified for food stamps.

Energy Outreach also manages a federally-funded Crisis Intervention Program for qualifying low-income Coloradans struggling with a non-working home heating system. Since last October, EOC has helped 1,340 Coloradans repair or replace their source of home heat.

For information about Energy Outreach Colorado's energy bill payment assistance, call toll-free 1-866-HEAT-HELP or go to http://www.energyoutreach.org/get-help/paying-your-energy-bill. For information about the Crisis Intervention Program, call toll free 1-855-469-4328 or go to http://www.energyoutreach.org/get-help/fix-your-furnace.

About Energy Outreach Colorado

Energy Outreach Colorado raises funds to help low-income Coloradans afford home energy and remain warm and safe in their homes. Established in 1989, Energy Outreach works with partner assistance organizations, vendors and subcontractors across the state to provide energy bill payment assistance, emergency home furnace repair, weatherization services, energy efficiency grants for affordable housing and nonprofit facilities, energy education, and advocacy on behalf of low-income energy consumers.

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