Oregon HEAT: Neighbors Helping Neighbors Keep the Heat and Lights On

It’s now officially winter, according to the calendar, with frost on the ground in the morning and the appearance of hats, gloves, and scarves. For some Oregonians, the falling temperatures and early nightfall represent more than just a change of season. These signal the beginning of months of anxiety for low-income residents who struggle to afford their increased heating and/or electricity bills. Thousands of residents this winter will face difficult decisions that no one should have to make: pay their utility bills and to keep the lights and heat on, or purchase other necessities, such as food or medical care, and risk having their services shut off. This year has already been a hard one; thus far, 27,000 Oregonians have had their electricity shut-off due to non-payment.

One important local non-profit organization exists to support these Oregonians and ensure fewer families are left in the cold or the dark. Oregon HEAT, founded in 1989, is an independent 501(c)3 organization that partners with community service agencies to distribute funds to pay the utility bills of individuals struggling to afford them. Earlier this month, Roger Rees, Executive Director of Oregon HEAT, visited CUB’s office to brief staff on his organization’s activities and the challenges he sees for the upcoming winter season.

Rees described the central philosophy at Oregon HEAT as “neighbor helping neighbor.” Thus, Oregon HEAT makes certain that funds donated by individuals to the organization are disbursed back to families requiring assistance in the same county. Additional funding comes from private utilities, in particular PGE and PacifiCorp. Another source of funding is the organization’s innovative oil recycling program, which transforms waste-oil into a new product and generates income that goes to serve its clients. Oregon HEAT partners with the Oil Re-Refining Company to collect used oil from businesses, organizations, and individuals; re-refine it back into a usable form; and sell this “new” oil. It’s been a strong success—in Harney County alone, 100% of oil-waste producing companies participate—and other states have reached out to Oregon HEAT for assistance in setting up similar programs.

The organization’s main goal when delivering aid is to lift households completely out of their debt owed to utilities, enabling them to be self-sufficient again. To do this, Oregon HEAT ensures that ninety cents of every donated dollar is returned to the community to help affected households. Unfortunately, due to limited funds and the large demand for aid, Oregon HEAT is only able to provide assistance to individuals once per year.

The weak economy has dramatically increased the need for Oregon HEAT’s service. Rees stated that, with the poverty rate in Oregon hovering at 14% and the unemployment rate just over 9%, many more households will be experiencing the threat of a shut-off this year. These economic difficulties are compounded by the fact that the traditionally largest federal funding program for low-income heating assistance, LIHEAP, is facing cuts and delayed distribution. Rees reported that, with the proposed cuts of $1.1-1.3 billion, only 18% of Oregonians eligible for this assistance will receive it, increasing the demand on other supporting agencies, including Oregon HEAT.

This reality of increasing economic hardship began an interesting discussion during the briefing, which centered on the importance of collaboration between organizations like CUB and Oregon HEAT, whose missions revolve around supporting vulnerable Oregonians on similar issues. Rees highlighted the fact that people unable to pay for their heating or electric utility bills are typically also struggling to cover other bills as well, such as their phone/internet plans. Our own CUB Connects project can be a powerful tool to minimize the financial burden on households and also can indirectly affect the work of Oregon HEAT.

Andrea Crosby, program manager of CUB Connects, noted that when individuals use CUB Connects to choose the right telecommunications plan for them—getting out of more expensive plans with features they never use—they save money and can put that toward paying their other utility bills. As a result, households may have more financial resources to put towards other expenses, perhaps avoiding the need to use heating assistance offered by organizations like Oregon HEAT.

CUB Connects and Oregon HEAT are two support systems in a pool of many other resources available for people who are struggling to pay for their basic utility services. Ensuring consumers know these resources exist is a crucial, ongoing task and is why here, on CUB’s blog, we share information about the different organizations whose work aligns with our own. If you’d like to learn more about Oregon HEAT, the work they do, and how you can apply for assistance if you are in need, visit their website or call 503-612-6300.

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