Today is the first day low-income residents can apply for help in paying winter heating bills through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).

        And officials of the Cincinnati-Hamilton County Community Action Agency, which administers the federal-state assistance program, expect several hundred people to visit its Walnut Hills offices to apply.

        “We expect a big increase in applications,” said Herbert Walker, manager of the program that last year provided emergency heating assistance to 7,000 families.

        Cincinnati Gas & Electric Co. said this week its customers will pay about a third more for natural gas this winter than last winter because higher demand has driven up prices.

        Mr. Walker said it's not just rising natural gas prices that have low-income residents seeking assistance. Rising prices for propane, kerosene, heating oil, wood and coal also will force people to seek aid, he said.

        Last winter, the agency spent about $900,000 to provide emergency heating assistance to families faced with disconnection of their service, he said.

        This winter about $1 million has been allocated for emergency HEAP in Hamilton County, Mr. Walker said.

        “We think we'll have enough money to get us through February,” he said.

        CG&E said an additional 15,503 residents received $2.1 million in regular HEAP aid last winter.

        “There are a number of programs available to assist customers with energy conservation and bill management,” said Steve Brash, CG&E spokesman.

        “We would anticipate with the increase in prices we'll have more customers seeking various types of assistance,” he said.

        For customers who don't qualify for low-income assistance, CG&E offers various types of extended payment plans that allow them to maintain service by paying a portion of their bills and spreading out the remaining payments.

        CG&E also said about 80,000 of its electric and gas customers are signed up for its budget billing program, which spreads bills evenly over annual or quarterly payment periods.

        CG&E offers low-income customers aid in paying their energy bills through the state Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP), which allows eligible customers to maintain service by paying bill installments based on a portion of their gross household income.

        Currently there are about 8,430 electric and gas customers in PIPP, CG&E said.

        Mr. Brash said the utility also offers a variety of energy audit and weatherization programs that can help customers reduce their energy bills.

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