Three-Day Expo Will Assist Low-Income Baltimore City Residents with Energy Bills

BALTIMORE, Md. (June 26, 2014)—Today, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, representatives of Baltimore Gas and Electric (BGE), the Office of Home Energy Programs (OHEP), and the Mayor's Office of Human Services' Community Action Partnership announced OHEP Energy Assistance Week, a three-day event geared toward helping low-income city residents pay their energy bills. The event will be held Tuesday, July 1 through Thursday, July 3 at the Morgan State University Student Center. Only the first 600 qualified applicants will be accepted each day.

"This partnership is vital to our residents, as Baltimore has recently experienced some pretty brutal winters and extreme summer temperatures, which can be a matter of life and death," said Mayor Rawlings-Blake. "The increased cost of heating and air conditioning during peak months can seriously impact a household budget. The City of Baltimore wants to make sure that residents are living in safe conditions without the fear of becoming in debt."

The event, expected to attract well over a thousand low-income city residents, will help many avoid service interruption by providing financial assistance to decrease their bill. From Tuesday, July 1 through Thursday, July 3, the OHEP office at 2700 N. Charles Street and all Baltimore City Community Action Centers will be closed. Residents planning to apply for energy assistance during those days should attend OHEP Energy Assistance Week.

"This is a great opportunity for residents who need help paying their energy bills to sign up and get the help they need," said Lori Cunningham, director of Baltimore City Community Action Partnership. "Bringing all our staff to one central location makes it a more efficient process for clients to apply for the assistance they need."

For Baltimore City Energy Assistance Week, residents applying for assistance must bring a copy (no original documents) of the following to leave with staff:

• Government issued photo ID
• Proof of residence (lease, rent book, or mortgage statement)
• Social Security cards for all household members, including children
• Proof of household's total gross income for the last 30 days, including all sources of income for each member of the household
• Name of home energy supplier and account number
• Most recent utility bill

Street and garage parking will be available. Morgan State University can also be accessed via public transportation. If you have questions about Energy Assistance Week, please call 410-545-1511.

EVENT DETAILS:

OHEP Energy Assistance Week
Tuesday, July 1 – Thursday, July 3
9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Morgan State University Student Center, Calvin and Tina Tyler Ballroom