The High Cost of Winter
New Englanders are bracing for the most expensive winter ever. The average cost of heating oil is up 24% since last year and federal home heating assistance has declined. We look at why staying warm is so expensive and who might be left out in the cold.
Listen to the full show:
Audio for http://www.bu.edu/wbur/storage/2007/11/radioboston_1130.mp3
Plus, click for links to home heating and energy services in Massachusetts…
Radio Boston: The High Cost of Winter
Airdate: November 30, 2007
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Guests:
Beth Ann Strollo, President of MASSCAP (Massachusetts Association for Community Action)
Alan Clayton Matthews, professor of public policy at the UMass Boston McCormack Graduate School of Policy Studies
If you need help heating your home contact the agency closest to you. Scroll down for links to family and children resources.
Action for Boston Community Development, Inc. (ABCD)
178 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02111
(617) 357-6012
Action, Inc.
47 Washington Street, Gloucester, MA 01930
(978) 281-3900
1-800-696-9276
Berkshire Community Action Council, Inc. (BCAC)
1531 East St., Pittsfield, MA 02101
(413) 445-4503 - Pittsfield
(413) 663-3014 - North Adams
(413) 528-1947 - Great Barrington
1-866-216-6100 - Toll Free
Community Action, Inc. (CAI)
145 Essex Street,
Haverhill, MA 01832
(978) 373-1971 - Haverhill
1-800-332-9004 - Toll Free
City of Cambridge, Department of Human Services
51 Inman St., Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 349-6252
Community Action Program Intercity, Inc. (CAPIC)
100 Everett St., Unit 14, Chelsea, MA 02150
(617) 884-6130
Citizens for Citizens (CFC)
264 Griffin St., Fall River, MA 02724
(508) 679-0041 - Fall River
(508) 823-6346 - Taunton
(508) 676-7397 - Information
Community Teamwork, Inc. (CTI)
517 Moody Street, Lowell, MA 01854
(978) 459-6161 - Lowell
(781) 643-2358 - Arlington
1-877-451-1082 - Toll Free
Community Action of the Franklin Hampshire and No. Quabbin Regions, Inc.
377 Main St., Greenfield, MA 01301
(413) 774-2310
1-800-370-0940 - Toll Free
Greater Lawrence Community Action Council, Inc. (GLCAC)
305 Essex St., Lawrence, MA 01840
(978) 681-4950 - Lawrence
(781) 942-9061 - Reading
(978) 664-6011 - No. Reading
Housing Assistance Corporation (HAC)
460 West Main Street, Hyannis, MA 02601
(508) 790-7106, ext. 1
Lynn Economic Opportunity, Inc . (LEO)
156 Broad St., Lynn, MA 01901
(718) 581-7220, ext. 283
Massachusetts LIHEAP (Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program)
Community Services Programs
Division of Community Services
Department of Housing and Community Development
100 Cambridge Street, Suite 300
Boston, Massachusetts 02114-2524
1-800-632-8175
Menotomy Weatherization
20 Academy Street, Suite 202, Arlington, MA 02476
(781) 316-3436
Montachusett Opportunity Council, Inc. (MOC)
Energy & Environmental Services
52 Hartwell St., Fitchburg, MA 01420
(978) 342-7025
New England Farm Workers Council (NEFWC)
(City of Springfield, only)
1666 Main St., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 272-2209
New England Farm Workers Council (NEFWC)
(No. Central Massachusetts only)
435 Main Street, Suite 3040, Fitchburg, MA 01420
(978) 342-4520
North Shore Community Action Programs, Inc. (NSCAP)
98 Main St., Peabody, MA 01960
(978) 531-8810 - Information only
(978) 531-0767, ext. 136
People Action in Community Endeavor Inc. (PACE)
166 Williams St., New Bedford, MA 02742
(508) 999-9920
Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc. (QCAP)
1509 Hancock Street, 3rdFloor, Quincy, MA 02169
(617) 479-8181, ext. 101
Springfield Partners for Community Action, Inc. (SPCA)
619 State St., Springfield, MA 01109
(413) 263-6538
Self Help, Inc. (SHI)
1362 Main St., Brockton, MA 02301
(508) 226-4192 - Attleboro
(508) 588-5440 - Brockton
1-800-225-0875 - Toll Free
South Middlesex Opportunity Council, Inc. (SMOC)
300 Howard St., Framingham, MA 01701
(508) 620-1230 - Framingham
1-800-286-6776 - Toll Free outside Framingham
City of Springfield, Office of Community Development
1600 East Columbus Ave., Springfield, MA 01103
(413) 787-6500
So. Shore Community Action Council, Inc. (SSCAC)
265 So. Meadow Road, Plymouth, MA 02360
(508) 746-6707
(508) 778-0870 - Hyannis (Nov - April)
1-877-383-5243 - Toll Free (for only those areas where
Plymouth is a toll call)
Tri-City Community Action Programs, Inc. (TRICAP)
341A Forest Street, Malden, MA 02148
(781) 322-6284
Valley Opportunity Council (VOC)
300 High St., Holyoke, MA 01040
(413) 552-1548
Worcester Community Action Council, Inc. (WCAC)
484 Main St., 2nd Floor, Worcester, MA 01608
(508) 754-1176 ext.110 - Worcester
Resources for families:
The Grow Clinic at Boston Medical Center
Provides comprehensive specialty medical, nutritional, social services and dietary assistance to children from the Greater Boston Area referred with Failure To Thrive.
725 Massachusetts Avenue, Mezzanine SW
Boston, MA
(617) 414-5254
The Greater Boston Food Bank
99 Atkinson Street
Boston, MA 02218
(617) 427-5200
The Good Neighbor Energy Fund
Massachusetts Good Neighbor Energy Fund has provided energy assistance to residents in temporary crisis who are struggling to pay their energy bills and do not qualify for federal or state energy funds.
1-800-334-3047 (serving area codes 508, 617, 781 and 978) or
1-800-262-1320 (serving area code 413)
MassSAVE
Customers of Massachusetts regulated electric and gas companies who receive the low-income discount rate may also be eligible for free energy efficiency services.
1-800-632-8300
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Now that the ground has thawed let’s go on an archaeological dig. What are some of the latest big local discoveries? What do historical artifacts teach us about our past?
LOTS of email on the heating show in the Radio Boston in box:
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Name: Jeff Haslett
Subject: OIL
Message: What is being done to stop the stealing of oil by the people
who can afford to pay for oil but try and succeed in getting free oil
More email sent to Radio Boston:
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From: “Dianna Fallon”
Subject: heating cost
We are spending $3.22 per gallon for heating oil. We put in a pellet stove
last year to heat the downstairs. We heat with oil only the hot water and
the in-law suite, and put a space heater in our second floor bedroom. We
thing a kilowatt hour is cheaper now than oil. Are we correct? We are not
low income but we have experienced a 300% increase in heating cost over the
last 8 years. We are slipping economically to a point we are worried about
debt for the first time in 10 years.
Sent to us via email:
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One advantage of oil over natural gas is that there are many companies that compete for your business. This year as late as August I was offered an incentive for switching companies. This season I’m capped and locked at $2.40/gallon with an even billing plan spread out over a 12 mth period.
Dan from Waltham, MA