This Thanksgiving, we want to show our gratitude by highlighting some amazing programs and organizations in Sarasota County that help our community all year-round. We’ll go over local assistance available for utility bills, financing programs to take advantage of for larger home improvements, and federal incentives available to everyone. Before diving into these opportunities, let’s take a second to consider why we have them in the first place.

Early Energy Assistance (1970s-1980s)

The holiday season is always an important time to remember and show gratitude for things we may easily overlook – like turning on a light or switching your heat on during the cold months. All of this was put into perspective as recently as the mid-1970s, with our country’s most significant energy crisis. An oil shortage led us to re-evaluate where and how we were using our energy. While a number of regulatory laws came from this event, it was also the start of our present-day energy assistance programs. Proactive policies, like the ones listed below, helped us reduce our nationwide energy consumption and staved off another energy shortage from

happening since.

• Project Fuel – Maine (1973): The nation’s first utilities assistance program, Maine implemented Project Fuel to pay for home improvements that would lower their residents’ energy bills. Crisis counseling and emergency heating fuel delivery services were also established using the federal funds Maine received.
• Emergency Energy Conservation Program (1975): The precursor to today’s Weatherization Assistance Program, the EECP established a federal weatherization program for households under a certain income threshold. Credits were also issued to these low-income families for assistance with their utility bills.
• Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (1980): Building further off the EECP, the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program was established to help households exclusively with their utility bills. This is the precursor to today’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which plays the same role but has more flexible income limits.

Collectively, these programs helped us to use our energy in more efficient ways and reduced the financial burden that was passed along to everyday citizens. Weatherizing homes prolongs their lifespans and ensures you’re only paying for the energy you’re trying to use, while financial assistance programs have protected households from unaffordable living costs.

Where to Find Help Now: Utility Bill Assistance

Now that we’ve covered how these programs came about and why they are still important today, we’ve included a list of those that we are especially thankful are still around today! Below are some programs that can help with the urgent issue of past-due utility bills.

• Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP): LIHEAP is a federally funded program that is run locally in every county across the U.S. The

  

  LIHEAP agency in your area will make direct payments to your utility provider for past-due bills, with more assistance being given to those with children at home and with lower household incomes. Sarasota County’s local LIHEAP is run through the Salvation Army, with their contact information below:

  • Salvation Army – Sarasota webpage: https://southernusa.salvationarmy.org/sarasota/emergency-financial-assistance/
  • If you don’t live in Sarasota, you can find your local LIHEAP office and learn more about the federal program here: https://www.liheap.org/
• Elderly Home Energy Assistance Program (EHEAP): EHEAP is a state-funded program and like LIHEAP, it also pays past-due electric bills directly to the utility provider. As the name suggests, these funds are reserved for households with at least one resident being over the age of 60. EHEAP is run locally through

  

  Sarasota County’s Senior Friendship Centers, with their contact information below:

  • Sarasota County Senior Friendship Centers webpage: https://friendshipcenters.org/service/resources-for-aging/
  • If you don’t live in Sarasota, you can find your local EHEAP office and learn more about the Florida-based program here: https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/housing-options/eheap/
• Florida Power & Light’s Care to Share: FPL’s Care to Share is funded entirely by philanthropists and donations from everyday customers. Those who are eligible can receive a $500 credit once a year to apply towards current and past-due charges. Florida Power & Light offers this service to all eligible customers in their service area, and similar programs are available among other major utility companies in our state:
  • FPL’s Care to Share direct line for Sarasota County, Venice, and North Port: 941-556-0234
  • Find your FPL Care to Share contact: https://www.fpl.com/help/assistance.html
  • TECO customers can view information on their “Share” program here: https://www.tampaelectric.com/communityresponsibility/customers/share/
  • Duke Energy customers can view information on their “Share the Light” program here: https://www.duke-energy.com/home/billing/special-assistance/share-the-light

Where to Find Help Now: Home Repairs/Improvements

For those looking for financial assistance with larger home projects, improvements, or even repairs, we’ve also prepared the list below to help guide you in the right direction:

• Office of Housing and Community Development’s Home Rehab or Essential Repair Loans: This program is exclusive to residents of Sarasota County, City of Venice, and City of North Port. Homeowners in the areas listed above can apply for a $60,000 interest-free loan, with payments deferred as long as it’s owner-occupied. Those with low equity in their homes can still apply for up to $20,000 with the same payment deferments.
  • Sarasota County’s Office of Housing and Community Development webpage: https://www.scgov.net/government/planning-and-development-services/office-of-housing-and-community-development

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  Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP): The Weatherization Assistance Program is another federally funded program available nationwide, and locally administered on the county level. WAP offers free home improvements to households under a qualifying income threshold, awarding an average of about $8,000 in improvements in 2021. Sarasota County’s WAP is run through a local nonprofit named “Step Up Suncoast”, and their contact information is below:

  • Step Up Suncoast’s webpage: https://stepupsuncoast.org/programs/weatherization/
  • If you don’t live in Sarasota, you can find your local WAP office here: https://www.energy.gov/scep/wap/how-apply-weatherization-assistance
• Energy-Efficient Home Improvement Tax Credit: The IRS offers a tax credit for energy-efficient home improvements made after Jan. 1, 2023. Qualifying projects include (but are not limited to) exterior doors and windows, central A/C, home energy audits, water heaters, insulation, and more. Credit amounts vary based on the exact project, but there is no qualifying income. To view the specific credit amounts for each type of project, you can check out the official IRS website here: https://www.irs.gov/credits-deductions/energy-efficient-home-improvement-credit

Learn About More Ways to Save!

Even after finishing a home project or getting your last past-due bill paid, there are plenty of ways you can continue to keep your energy usage and bills low. Register for an upcoming Energy Upgrade class and learn more:

• Check out our Eventbrite for upcoming energy efficiency classes and webinars: https://www.eventbrite.com/cc/program-sustainability-213939
• View recordings of our energy-saving workshops on YouTube here:
  • Sarasota County Starter Kit: Understanding Your Utilities
  • Energy Upgrade
• Browse our website for more information on financial assistance and incentives available locally in Sarasota County: https://www.scgov.net/government/sustainability/sustainability/energy-upgrade
• Register for our virtual Energy Upgrade course to learn about energy and water conservation at your own pace: Take our virtual, self-paced Energy Upgrade course on Canvas at: https://ifas-sarasota.catalog.instructure.com/browse/sustainability/courses/energy-upgrade
• Check out a DIY Home Energy/Water Audit Backpack from the Sarasota County Libraries! More details and availability of the backpacks can be found here: https://scgovlibrary.librarymarket.com/event/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audit-kits-demand-0
• Check out more of our blogs on ways to save energy and money at-home!
  • Don’t Be Spooked by High Energy Bills: October Is Energy Awareness Month!
  • Understanding Your Utilities – How to Read and Reduce Your Utility Bills

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