BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — A number of you have reached out to us here at 7 News, frustrated with a rise in home energy bills.
I posted on NextDoor, asking if others were seeing the same thing. Within days, hundreds of you reached out, and among those messages, one stood out. Mari emailed us here at 7 News over the weekend, saying her bills were climbing too.
Mari applied for HEAP, the Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program to help offset high energy costs. She was approved, but told us she had been waiting since early January — making multiple attempts to get through — as her electric bills continued to rise.
A few hours after I reached out to county officials about her case, Mari said she was told her HEAP payment would be sent directly to her utility company within 30 days, and that a confirmation letter is on the way.
County officials say the HEAP program opened later than usual this season, but is now operating as normal.
WATCH: Western New Yorkers frustrated with rise in home energy bills
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With home heating costs on the rise, how can you mitigate some of that cost? How can you do so on a budget? 7 News' Ed Drantch went to Dibble True Value, on Buffalo's West Side, to find out what options are available.
WATCH: Easy ways to save on home heating in Buffalo on a budget