Benefiting the community: Milwaukee County makes it easier for those who need help paying their energy bills

MILWAUKEE -- Thousands of Milwaukee County households could qualify for energy assistance, yet the majority don't apply. This year, the county's trying to make it easier for those folks to do so.

Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Campaign

Few things attract attention quite so well as free food and rocking music, and attention is exactly what this group is looking for.

Milwaukee's County's Department of Health and Human Services put together an event to raise awareness about the Energy Assistance Program. The goal was to reel in people who might qualify for that assistance.

FOX6 News is told about 175,000 households in Milwaukee County are eligible for energy assistance, yet the number served tends to be about 62,000.

The benefit is meant to help the community's most vulnerable populations like elderly, disabled and low-income households better afford their energy bills.

In the past, sometimes people had to wait in line for hours to apply. This year, they're trying to make the application process a whole lot easier. They've doubled the number of permanent sites where you can set up an appointment to apply and there are now more than 100 satellite sites.

Milwaukee County Energy Assistance Campaign

You can start applying for energy assistance on October 1st. Be aware that some of the application sites from the past have now closed.

The application window runs from October 1st through mid-May. It's a one-time payment for those who qualify, so you can apply anytime during that window.

To find more information about where you should go and whether or not you qualify, CLICK HERE -- or call 414-270-4653.