Home Heating Assistance
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eoeeasubtopic&L=4&L0=Home&L1=Energy%2C+Utilities+%26+Clean+Technologies&L2=Home+Heating&L3=Home+Heating+Consumer+Assistance&sid=Eoeea
http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=ocasubtopic&L=5&sid=Eoca&L0=Home&L1=Consumer&L2=Energy%2C+Fuel+%26+Utilities&L3=Energy+Savings+%26+Efficiency&L4=Winter+Heating+Help
Energy Bucks
http://www.energybucks.com/
Paste these links into your web browser to view information on heating assistance.
posted by Jim Pillsbury @ 7:53 PM
34 Comments
34 Comments:
Thanks. This information is very useful.
The tradition of good information continues on this blog. I read this when I drink my coffee in the morning. You seem to be making this place a clearing house of information for the times we are in. Great idea and very, very useful to lots of people. Thanks for making this blog sort of a one stop shopping place. You have lots and lots of great answers. Now, what can you do about preventing snow from falling?
Doreen, NMP
Thank you for your comments. I can't do anything about the pending snow to fall... but just bitch about it as I run my snow blower in the driveway and a few of my neighbors driveways and think back of my time on the beach on the Cape.
But just a word to the wise, if you have an older home as I do, you may be seeing signs of frost creping into your attics if you have not removed snow from your roofs. This can get ugly very quickly and would suggest to all my neighbors, who can, buy a snow rake and pull as much snow off your roofs as you can reach. With another major snow storm headed our way, and a good 6 inches of hard packed frozen snow already on the roof, when this stuff melts it could cause a back up on the roof and could cause major damage to the inside.
Good advice about pulling that backed up ice off your roof. I had a major problem a few weeks ago. What started as a little frost in my attic turned into roof leaks and mildew on everything we store up there, which made my wife more than a little angry at me. It was a very, very expensive job to get it fixed once it got ahead of me, and it quickly did get ahead of me! I pulled the ice off, which helped, but I also installed a solar attic fan. Great little gizmo that keeps things circulating and has so far, kept things dry, but I am a little worried that once the rot started on my roof, I may have been too late to get to it. In this economy, no one wants to have to deal with the expense of a new roof. Roofer says we will have to see where we are at in the spring, but if we did not stop the rot, then I will need to do a lot more than replace shingles this spring!
Anybody notice that the tone on this blog is very positive? Almost no bashing of what anyone else says which is really unusual in the blogoshere. I wonder if Pillsbury deletes the negative comments or if there really aren’t any. Guess there is not much to be negative about here, all good stuff.
abby,
I have deleted one post from a person who insulted my fiancee.... when I ran in November... other than that.. the blue meenies have left us alone. You can see a deletion any time in the blog.. the comment goes, but the blog keeps the deletion in Q, for anyone to see.
Keep the information coming Jim. You are covering a lot of ground here. Great resource for many of us just to keep informed about what is happening, even if we don’t need to avail ourselves of some of these resources. Would still be interested in that buyers club concept if that ever comes to pass, although I think in reality, it will be a few months of better economic news before I would feel safe investing in property right now, even in property we can get for a great price because it is in foreclosure. Seems that even those properties are still losing a little value as time goes by. I don’t mind investing in the town, and not making money off of that investment, but I sure don’t want to lose money on it. Anything new on those pellets?
FR... thanks
I agree on the buyers club. I was encouraged by the increase in homes sales report yesterday. Clearly, some are buying, but with the very best of credit numbers. I also agree on the timing and look to do something in the spring perhaps.
I believe that the administration is looking at hemp and all biomass alternatives for fuel and also feel the time is no better than now, to have them lift the ban on hemp in this country. It will employ thousands and start a new wave of micro sustainable green businesses.
My work on the hemp pellets continue and will most likely end up in Canada for a week to do some large scale testing very soon. I'm not crazy about going somewhere colder and snowier than here, but It has to be done.
Good help thankyou
Why are you so down on DeMasi? He has not been indicted, or even officially accused of any wrong doing? This country is built on the premise that you are innocent until proven guilty, so we should not condemn the man with no evidence. I agree with just about everything you say here, but not on that issue. I think you may be too quick to judge on that, but then, time will tell I guess.
CV.. duly noted... and correct when you say "time will tell".
But when we find out... shortly, the details that will NOT shock us,
and the depth of corrupt behavior, (like those who have stuffed their bra's)that is now considered the norm, I will to be proven correct on this one. It's similar to Finneran's last days and don't forget, things went down hill in a hurry, when good old Tom was at the helm. Who now seeks a pardon with no apology to us for his corrupt behavior.
By the by.. would you give up a cushy, high paid, life long until you die, job? with incredible bennies, perks, blind loyalty from a bunch of fat sheep? if you did nothing wrong? Common sense tells me he would have fought the hell out of anything that came down the Pike... he's the Speaker.. but not the Seeker who battles evil in the name of good
Look at the wacko in Chicago, he's ignoring the impeachment hearings like it never happened, denying all the way to Operah. And he's as guilty as OJ was, but he stands up to the charges.
I'll buy you dinner (organic) if within 3 months Sal is not formally charged in a criminal proceeding.
deal?
It's a deal. But where the hell do you go for an organic meal?
Jim do you know anything about any programs being offered for credit card debt? Even if I pay something every month, even if it is the minimum payment, the total amount due increases every month because my interest rate went sky high when I was late on a payment or two. Hey, at least I am trying to pay. But I got to tell you I am tempted to just stop paying altogether. If it comes down to keeping a roof over my head, feeding my family, or paying the minimum on a credit card that is never going to get paid off, the credit card is not going to be my priority. But there has to be a lot of people in the same position as me. Do you know if the government is looking at any programs to help us out like they are helping people in foreclosure danger? No rush required in responding to this. Snow looks bad out there so I am heading home now. Won't check back until tomorrow I guess.
CV... whole foods.
Eric,
The banks will have to deal with the CC problems of us all... and I agree, if I had to choose between feeding my family, heat and car payment, I'd stop paying the min's. Your credit numbers will go down but what choice do you have. I'd pick one card, if you can, to pay the min's on. But if it jeopardizes your families well being... don't pay.
I'll bet some new standards are put in place by Obama in the next few months to help us with CC debt. I also believe, the banks, not the collection agencies, will be taking a small percentage of total debt to settle accounts. I've been offering to pay off 3% of total bill on a card of mine, but they haven't budged.. yet.
My car was repossessed last month. Problem is, I still need a car. I was trying to pay my mortgage first so I would not lose me house, but my wife lost her job, so our income was cut in half, and we could not pay the car and the house also, and the loan company just refused to negotiate with me at all, so they got the car. Anyone know of any programs to help people still working, and still paying bills, but just in over our heads and unable to pay everything?
Seems everyone here is out of work or in debt over their heads. Just had to say not everyone is in trouble. Some of us are lucky enough to still have our jobs and still able to keep our heads above water, although I bet none of us are doing well or saving much these days. But those of us who are fortunate by today’s standards have an obligation to try and help those who are less fortunate, don’t you think? I can donate a little something to the food pantry, or a little time to a soup kitchen, or an extra $ on my utility bill to help cover someone else’s bill. These are ugly times, and so many are hurting, but we have to try and come out of this as better people, don’t you agree?
Anon.. .Damm I'm sorry to hear. Yeah.. not much choice there. Now that you have one income, perhaps you will qualify for some heating assistance. Hit the local panties if you run low on food. Take whatever measures you have to.. to get through this. Cut where you can...if you can and hope sunny days are around the corner. I'm sorry I don't have better news.
Abra,
Good vibes.. thanks. I just sent a check into the fuel assistance program and will do my monthly donation to the Salvation Army this week. Your neighbors thank you...
Jim is right, hang in there the best we can and just hope we can hold on long enough to see those better times. Damm, what a mess this is. Who would believe this country could end up in this position? Let’s hope Obama is a smart and motivated man, because we need that to turn this around.
Did yous ee the budget cuts in this morning's paper? What's with that? Framingham took a bigger cut than any other city or town. How does Richardson defend that?
Time to storm the state house and make them accountable. What other option is there?
Any one here know anything about the actual items that will be cut from the Framingham budget? I saw that piece in the paper about the dollar amount of the cuts, but what about the actual services being cut? Anyone know anything about that?
What about the snow plowing budget? I would guess we are already over budget in that area, and the side streets in Framingham are a mess. When I look around I see what appears to be lots of private contractors plowing. Why don’t we throw plows on the front of all the town pick-ups and have them plow? What happens when the town has no money to pay those private contractors? And doesn’t anyone in the town ever check the roads being done by the contractors? They should come take a look at my street, it is a mess and no one should be paid for the lousy job they did here.
Heating program information is very helpful. Thanks again for being such a good resource for information. I contacted one of these and actually did get some help already.
I was at the Salvation Army earlier this week (as this blog suggested we do), and there were lots and lots of families “shopping” in the food pantry. Stock looked good, but I am guessing it was pretty depleted by the end of the day if no new donations came in. If you can donate, do it, but a suggestion to the donators. Call to see what they need. It seemed there was an ample supply of some things, and almost nothing of others. So spend wisely and check to see what they need before you donate, or just give them money and let them buy what they need.
Rich,
Looks like that 1.5 mill is much higher than other towns.. I wonder why? I'll write to Pam and see if she knows why.... I'm sure, they are crunching numbers as we speak... so I don't know any more than you guys and gals... but 1.5 mill is coming from somewhere... a few cops, a few teachers and a few town workers is my only guess, but what about next year? is my big question. If we have double the foreclosures here, revenue will be going down further.
I will roll out my suggestions on this blog over the weekend to help bolster the Towns coffers.
Help,
I have the same problem on my street... it's covered with ice... from the first storm that was missed. I did write and they did come and threw some sand/salt down. I see both Town owned and private plow trucks on my little road. Not sure who does what roads in Town, but I'll bet it's cheaper to pay a contractor, but the quality of work may go down hill. Give the Public works office a call if it gets any worse.
I'm glad you got some help, Help
stay warm
Very good advice 6th.. I will do so.
Thanks
This blog is a fountain of good information. Wish I had known about this months ago. Did use the heating information to make some calls today and looks like I can get some help on that issue, so thanks for providing the information. Don’t need the foreclosure or food pantry yet, hoping it never gets that bad for me but you never know. I pray for all of those worse off than me every night.
Read something the other day about the April town meeting addressing the wind turbine issue again. Jim, are you involved in that issue at all? Can they really stop us from putting them on our own property?
we are all at the mercy of the politicians so we had better be ready to take care of ourselves because they sure aint going to take care of us. not one of them gives a dam about how we are surviving so i dont give a dam about them neither. obama could be better than bush but that aint saying much. lets see how good he looks 6 months from now. hope you are right that he is going to fix things.
Sox,
I'm on it...
I was at the meeting last week and heard and read about what they may propose. At this juncture they still do not have enough information to make the call. I have volunteered information to the committee, but have heard nothing from them. There is at least one member, who is a real engineer and deals with facts, not propaganda. Any unreasonable regulations will be rejected by me and the intelligent Town Meeting members.
Anon,
We gotta believe in someone... though I will admit to being cynical about the Government over the past 30 years .... and for good reasons, endless lies, corruption, war after war, broken promises, etc, but look at what Obama has done in the past two weeks... equal pay for women and condemned the big bailed out companies for taking huge bonuses...just yesterday. I'll bet you see some form of restitution there. Not since Carter have I've been enthused about the top. And who knows, maybe some of Obama's results will help Deval make the right calls.
Trying to make right, our State House from the bottom up... is so tiring and I have only so many years left to make a difference. Positive change will happen faster from the top down... and I think Obama knows that to.
Perhaps the meteor will strike the State House, when in session, and we will take back our great State from those who continue to take advantage of us all.
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