Residents see spike in heating bills

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — After a cold spell a couple of weeks ago, some residents in the Tennessee Valley are seeing high heating bills. An agency in Chattanooga is helping low income people who are struggling to pay them.

Rebecca Whelchel, the executive director of Metropolitan Ministries, looks through recent heating bills from people who seek help from her agency. One bill was more than $1,000.

“With that last cold crunch came exorbitant bills, like we really haven’t seen before,” Whelchel said.

This agency assists people who are in emergency financial situations. They help with food, rent, utilities and other supportive services.

“The homes that our folks live in our very poorly insulated. They are not at all energy efficient and more often than not their landlords are not interested in making those amendments so those bills can go down,” Whelchel said.

Whelchel has some tips for people to keep their bills down.

“Lower that thermostat, don’t let it see 70, for sure. Keep it between 65 and 86, throw on a coat, throw on a jacket. If you feel a draft coming out from under your door and there is nothing else you can do, throw a towel down there,” Whelchel said.

There are ways to support people who need the extra help this time of year.

“If you are sitting in a warm home and you can help and you can share please donate now to Met Min and the other good charities here in Chattanooga who are helping with this very significant health issue really,” Whelchel said.

If you want to donate to Met Min or are interested in their services, click here.