Emergency utility assistance available for Butler County veterans
Veterans facing sky-high power bills can get help through county services
HAMILTON, Ohio (WXIX) - Emergency financial help is available for veterans or their surviving spouses struggling with high power bills.
The Butler County Veterans Service Office is offering assistance to stop potential disconnects and bring veterans current with their power bills.
“In February, our average assistance for utility bill was over $600 per bill,” said Mike Farmer, executive director of Butler County Veterans Services.
Third-party suppliers adding to costs
The office says third-party suppliers could be part of the problem for some veterans.
“Sometimes there are third-party suppliers on there. We can help identify those. A lot of times the middleman is charging almost as much as the utility bill in general,” Farmer said.
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Farmer, a Marine veteran, said the office works as an immediate stopgap.
“We want to stop utility disconnect. We want to bring them current in their billing cycle,” he said.
Emergency financial assistance is available for veterans or their surviving spouses in all 88 Ohio counties.
“Other situations, our clients may need some budget counseling to help get them, if they’re on a fixed income, to help get them back on the cycle of when the bill is due and when they get paid,” Farmer said.
Extended cold snaps this winter have caused financial stress for many veterans.
“Price increases have been approved years back, and they slowly escalate and cascade in. You combine that with third-party suppliers. You combine that with the weather, and it’s the recipe for disaster for our veterans,” Farmer said.
“Being able to take that burden off of someone is a truly, there’s no words to describe how you feel,” he said.
Veterans can call Butler County Veterans Services at 513-887-3600. The process usually takes about a week to 10 days.
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