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Today's storm likely will bring with it low temperatures statewide. If you're struggling with high heating bills while trying to keep your house warm, there are some programs that can help.
In Utah it's legal for companies to shut off utilities if people aren't making payments during the winter. But by just looking around on the Internet, you can find a lot of federally funded help and donations from different agencies available.
The Red Cross has REACH, its utility assistance program. Last year REACH provided assistance for nearly 1,500 households.
Elwood L. Nielsen receives assistance with his utility bills. "I go home and go to sleep knowing that I'm going to get up in the morning, that my house will still be warm and no one will be at the door shutting off the heat," he said.
That's just one of several options for low income families, the elderly and people with disabilities.
This year, the state's HEAT program will serve about 36,000 homes. Utah is getting an additional $4 million from the government to help meet the growing demand for utility assistance.
Most of these programs collect donations from the public. If you want to donate, see the links on this page.
E-mail: ngonzales @ksl.com
