People Unable to Pay Utility Bills May Be Eligible for Aid

Beginning Wednesday, low-income Orange County residents who are unable to pay their winter utility bills may be eligible for assistance.

The Winter Energy Assistance Fund, administered jointly by the United Way Agency of Orange County, Southern California Edison Co. and Southern California Gas Co., will have funds available for residents threatened with having their gas or electricity shut off, said Dave Herbert, United Way’s director of community services.

The funds come from tax-deductible contributions from utility company customers who receive requests for aid in their monthly bills, Herbert said. The customers’ contributions are matched by donations from the utility companies themselves, he said.

To qualify, individuals either must be low-income residents of Orange County who have received a 48-hour shut-off notice from the utility company or 60 years of age or older, Herbert said.

Qualified residents who have received shut-off notices can request help after Wednesday at one of the following six charitable organizations:

Christian Service Agency in Santa Ana, 542-6729.

Salvation Army, El Toro, 770-4467.

Episcopal Service Alliance, with offices in Santa Ana, 953-9170; Anaheim, 776-7510; Laguna Beach, 494-0519, and San Clemente, 492-8211;

Lutheran Social Services, with offices in Fullerton, 738-1058; Garden Grove, 534-6450, and El Toro, 380-8670.

Share Our Selves Organization, Costa Mesa, 642-3451.

Lynn Center, Huntington Beach, 536-0614.