WILLIAMSBURG, Va. — For folks on a fixed income, paying utility bills during the heat of the summer can be a challenge, but there are resources in place to help ease that burden.
One resource for Dominion Energy customers is called EnergyShare. It's a program that is a last resort for those in financial crisis. It's not income based; anyone who can't pay their bill may qualify.
“Up and down, up and down; it was hard at times,” said Williamsburg resident Hortense Hilt.
Hilt is on a fixed income and was struggling to pay her energy bill, so she applied for the EnergyShare program.
“If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be sitting in a cool house," said Hilt.
Hilt also qualified for Dominion's weatherization program, which allowed her to upgrade her home to make it more energy efficient, at no cost to her.
Contractor Don Mowry installed a new HVAC system, new insulation, new registers and sealed any air flow that was leaking from the attic and crawl space into the main living area.
“We just try to tighten everything up, so whatever they’re paying for stays in the house a little bit longer and keeps them a little bit more comfortable,” said Mowry.
The improvements will save Hilt around 30% on her bill, which is a savings of approximately $50 a month. She said she's grateful for the extra money.
"I can do little things that I couldn’t do before, it helps with everything,” said Hilt.
To get more information about the EnergyShare program, click here.
If you're a Hampton Roads resident and you're struggling to pay your bills, whether it's rent or utilities, nonprofit ForKids can help.
ForKids gets people in crisis connected with local resources to help ease that financial burden. More information on ForKids can be found here.
