State program keeping many folks cool

Wednesday, June 21, 2006 | 7:16 a.m.

CARSON CITY - Governmental actions often get people hot under the collar, but more than 20,000 low-income Nevadans will be cooler this summer thanks to state government.

Starting July 1, the state will begin accepting applications for next summer for a program that helps low-income individuals and families pay their air-conditioning and heating bills.

During the fiscal year that ends June 30, the state Division of Welfare and Supportive Services received 23,000 applications for the program. Grants, based on applicants' energy usage and income, averaged $800 per family.

The program is funded by $3.9 million from the federal government and $8 million from the state, with the state revenue coming from an assessment on energy bills.

The federal government started the payments during the 1980s energy crisis, said Linda Mercer, the division's program director. In 2001, the state Legislature imposed a small assessment on retail energy bills to augment the federal grants.

Division Administrator Nancy Ford said there is no cap on the size of individual grants. However, limits on the money available for the program could force state officials to establish a ceiling . The grants go directly to utilities to be credited against electric or natural gas bills.

To qualify for the program, families must meet income standards. An individual can earn no more than $1,225 a month, the maximum monthly income for a family of three is $2,075 and the monthly wage ceiling for a family of five is $2,925.