LANSING, Mich. — Lansing Board of Water and Light hosted an event to help residents manage their utility bills as cold weather approaches and heating costs rise.
Sheri Bailey, a five-year Lansing resident, expressed concerns about affording her heating bills this winter following a BWL rate increase that took effect Oct. 1.
"I believe this is going to be one of the hardest winters that we've had for lower middle-class families, our heating costs are going up, and my paycheck is not," Bailey said.
Bailey worries about maintaining heat service throughout the winter months as fuel costs continue to climb.
"The cost of heating fuel this winter is very concerning to me. I worry that I won't be able to sustain my heat services through the winter," Bailey said.
BWL General Manager Dick Peffley said the utility company wants to connect residents with available resources to address financial concerns.
"Water, utilities, any financial issues they are having. We want to hear about it. We want them to come in and see if we can hook them up with resources that will help alleviate some of their angst," Peffley said.
- Lansing Board of Water and Light hosted an event to connect residents with bill assistance resources as heating costs rise
- Residents express concerns about affording utilities following a BWL rate increase that took effect Oct. 1
- BWL has distributed millions of dollars in assistance and encourages customers to seek available help programs
Watch below:
The utility has distributed millions of dollars in assistance to customers struggling with bills, according to Peffley.
"We've given out Millions of dollars to customers to help them pay their bills. We know that this is helping. We want you to come out and tell us what you need," Peffley said.
Bailey encouraged other residents to maintain open communication with local utility companies about available assistance programs.
"Talk to each other. Establish a line of communication with our local utility companies, who sent everyone out here today to meet with us. Talk to them, see what resources are available to you," Bailey said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
