Letter to the Editor: Baltimore Pioneers'08: Cultivating Change. Inspiring Solutions

Dear Editor:

As we head into autumn and the temperatures turn colder I write to highlight important programs that can help lower income Marylanders who are having problems with their electricity and heating bills.
The Maryland Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP) administers:

·Maryland Energy Assistance Program (MEAP), which helps with home heating bills and provides limited assistance to replace broken or inefficient furnaces

·Electric Universal Service Program (EUSP), which provides help to pay current electric bills, help to pay past due electric bills and help with energy efficiency measures to reduce future electric bills.

·Utility Service Protection Program (USPP) which protects low-income families from utility cut-offs and gets them on the way to establishing a payment plan to pay-off utility arrearages.

In addition the programs run by OHEP, the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), administered by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development provides home weatherization services to eligible individuals such as weather stripping, caulking, and plastic window covering to help make their home or apartment more fuel efficient and comfortable.

For more information about these programs, contact OHEP at (800) 352-1446 or check out their website at http://www.dhr.state.md.us/meap/index.htm

Senator Katherine Klausmeier
8th Legislative District