P.E.I. home heating assistance program sees $500k in applications in 10 days

CBC
·4 min read
A provincially-funded home heating assistance program gives eligible Islanders up to $1,200 per calendar year to help heat their homes, meaning anyone who applied in the fall is now eligible for a fresh grant in January. (Laura Meader/CBC - image credit)
A provincially-funded home heating assistance program gives eligible Islanders up to $1,200 per calendar year to help heat their homes, meaning anyone who applied in the fall is now eligible for a fresh grant in January. (Laura Meader/CBC - image credit)

A provincial program that helps people pay for home heating has received $500,000 in applications in the first ten days of 2024, after seeing record-high demand last year.

"I'm really hoping it's a mild winter, but it just shows the need that's out there," said John Burton of the Salvation Army, which administers the provincially-funded program.

"Everybody needs to be warm. That's a basic human need."

The Home Heating Program gives eligible Islanders up to $1,200 per calendar year, meaning anyone who applied in the fall is now eligible for more money.

Funding is available to individuals making up to $45,000 per year and families making up to $60,000. It can be used toward heat sources like oil, wood, wood pellets and electricity.

John Burton of the Salvation Army's Community Church in Charlottetown says the organization has already received $500,000 worth of applications in January for the home heating grants it administers.
John Burton of the Salvation Army's Community Church in Charlottetown says the organization has already received $500,000 worth of applications in January for the home heating grants it administers.

John Burton of the Salvation Army's Community Church in Charlottetown says the organization has already received $500,000 worth of applications in January for the home heating grants it administers. (Sheehan Desjardins/CBC)

Burton said recent applications are a mix of returning clients and "many new people who are just finding out about the program or people who are really seeking out ways to help themselves."

Last October, Burton said 805 households registered from April to June 2023 — more than five times the number of applicants during the same time period in 2022.

Mary Boyd, coordinator with the McKillop Centre for Social Justice, says the increases aren't enough.
Mary Boyd, coordinator with the McKillop Centre for Social Justice, says the increases aren't enough.

Mary Boyd, a coordinator with the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice, says an expansion of the P.E.I. government’s free heat pump program was “a very good move” to help curb the need for home heating assistance. (Mary Boyd/CBC)

Longtime anti-poverty activist Mary Boyd, a coordinator with the MacKillop Centre for Social Justice, said she isn't surprised demand continues to climb, with the cost of living what it is.

"Islanders have said that they'd have to give up food to heat their homes," said Boyd. "It's a toss up between affording heat and affording food, and that's just a tragic situation for people to find themselves in."

Interim Liberal Leader Hal Perry is also hearing from his constituents about the need for home heating assistance.

He said he has heard many people are requesting support, particularly seniors.

"They have their thermostats at home turned down really, really low just so they can make it through the month," said Perry. "They are applying for any assistance out there to help them alleviate some of those financial pressures that Islanders are under at the moment."

There's a great need for affordable and public housing, because it's one of the huge factors right now in the fact that people don't have enough money. — Mary Boyd

Boyd said an expansion of the P.E.I. government's free heat pump program is "a very good move" to help curb the need for home heating assistance.

This year, households with an annual income of under $100,000 may be eligible for a free heat pump. The province also removed limits on property value.

Since the program launched in December 2021, the province said more than 7,000 free heat pumps have been installed.

More housing supports are 'a huge factor'

Still, Boyd said more programs should be in place to help to Islanders struggling with the cost of housing and rent — ensuring they have a home to heat at all.

"The whole question [is] how do you have more public housing and how do you make the point to all of the government agencies … that there's a great need for affordable and public housing," she said.

The United Way in P.E.I. is also hearing concerns about home heating. Last year, the group's helpline received about 200 calls from people needing help with the cost.

"We are hearing from our community partners on the ground that many folks are struggling with home heating and many other financial issues," CEO Andrea MacDonald said in a statement.

"Even with the home heating programs, and people accessing these programs, countless individuals and families are seriously struggling to make ends meet."

Home upgrades and heating costs

With $3 million in funding left for heating assistance until the end of March, the Salvation Army is optimistic it will be able to support everyone who applies this year.

Burton hopes more programs can be put in place to help Islanders with the cost of living — and upgrading their home — so the need can eventually decrease.

"We need to somehow get people access to funds so they can upgrade their homes, so they can get proper insulation," he said. "You can heat all you want, but if it's just going through the walls, it's not going to help you."

Applications for the home heating assistance program are available at the Salvation Army's offices in Charlottetown and Summerside and at all Access P.E.I. locations and provincial libraries.