More Lubbock residents seeking help with utility bills
“Some grants are restricted that you can’t help someone if their services are turned off, so the sooner you reach out for help the better.”
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - With summer heat comes higher utility bills and some assistance programs in Lubbock are seeing more people needing help paying those bills.
Catholic Charities of Lubbock is one of the city’s partners in the utility assistance program called Helping Hands. It uses these funds to help residents who may be short on their bills, but the money isn’t keeping up with the demand.
“I think a lot of families are being faced with making hard decisions. Do they pay this, do they not pay that,” Program Director Sabrina Robbins said.
With inflation raising grocery prices, gas prices on the rise again and constant bills stacking up, Robbins is working with more families who are stretching their dollars to make ends meet.
“When the wages don’t go up but what it costs to live here does, it makes it very difficult,” Robbins said.
“When they’re bringing the bills in, many times they’re four to five-hundred dollars, so it can be quite an increase for the family to manage,” Robbins said.
She said, the non-profit tries to help in any way it can but the funding is limited.
“Try to determine what course of action would be best for them, what we can contribute, what they can contribute to help them stay in their housing and keep their lights on.”
Robbins also looks for alternatives if the money isn’t there, that includes other solutions that could help families save money in other places.
“We have a food bank on site. We can help them with groceries, it just depends, everybody’s situation is different.”
But if your services are already cut off when you ask for help, there’s not much these assistance programs can do.
“Some grants are restricted that you can’t help someone if their services are turned off, so the sooner you reach out for help the better.”
And remember, the right to choose your electric provider is coming. Robbins said Catholic Charities is prepared for it.
“We have the contact information for all the people when that changeover happens so that we are able to streamline it so that we can still remain serving the folks of Lubbock.”
There are also provisions in place to protect tenants, homeowners or customers during extreme heat and cold. One of those provisions prohibits any electric utility provider from cutting off services if the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory.
Copyright 2023 KCBD. All rights reserved.
