RHINELANDER - Take one step outside and you already know...the heat bill will be going up as the temperatures go down.

That’s why it’s a good time for low-income individuals and families to apply for energy assistance.

Heating bills can skyrocket in the winter months, so a little help can go a long way.

"It varies a little bit from county to county," Leah Van Zile from Wisconsin Public Service said.

"Those heating assistance dollars are available. It's important for people that think they may qualify for that to make contact with the social service agency and make application for that."

The funding comes from the Wisconsin Home Energy Assistance Program.

The first step is to contact your local social service office or NEWCAP.

You can also try WPS's budget billing program which stablizes bills through the year.

"The budget billing program will help even out your bills throughout the entire year," Van Zile said.

"[It helps] So that you aren't looking at a very high bill in wintertime and a very low bill in summertime. It really evens it out and helps the budgeting process."

You can find links to both of these options below.

Related Weblinks:
WPS Budget Billing
Energy Assistance

Story By: Matt Doyle