VERO BEACH — Help is available for customers of Vero Beach utilities, if they know where to look. Utility rates, which include electricity, have continued to soar throughout the summer months, forcing some residents to go with air conditioning or choose between turning on the lights and paying their mortgage.
For resident Harvey Rosenbaum, who spoke to the issue earlier this month in front of the Vero Beach City Council, his bill nearly tripled — going from $300 to $800 in the matter of one month.
He said that people aren’t able to pay their mortgages and many homes are being foreclosed on, further depressing the real estate market. Phil Carpenter, too, spoke before the city council, telling them of an elderly woman he knows in his community who is trying to live on $400 a month after paying for insurance, her bills, medications and other expenses.
John Lee, director of customer services for Vero Beach Utilities, said that customers can call to work out payment options if they find it difficult to pay their bills on time.
The department also offers an online home energy audit, which might offer some insight for business owners as well. The audit can be accessed by visiting the city’s Web site, www.covb.org and selecting “City Departments” then “Customer Service” then “Online Home Energy Audit.”
Residents, along with business owners, can also request to have their utility bills issued weekly instead of monthly if they find it easier to pay the smaller amount more frequently.
The department, in some cases, will allow customers to defer payment on their bills, but only temporarily.
“We can’t let you get too far behind,” Lee said.
If more assistance is needed than what the utilities department is able to handle, there are other agencies and organizations able to help.
One such agency is the Indian River County Human Services Department, which provides a variety of help to all residents of the county.
“It’s probably doubled or tripled over last year,” Director Brad Bernauer said of the number of people seeking the department’s assistance.
And though he no longer keeps track of which town or city residents are coming from, he said that he suspects there has been an increase in the number of Vero Beach residents and those from the county of Vero Beach utilities.
The Human Services Department provides one-time financial assistance for rent or utilities every 18 months. The department helps residents with a partial payment for either their rent or utility bill. The amount of financial help depends on the applicant’s level of need.
More than 1,000 county residents sought the department’s assistance between April and June this year – the most current numbers Bernauer had. Of those, 760 received help.
How many of those helped received assistance for their utility bills was not known. The department also provides a food pantry, medication vouchers, and help with getting into the Florida Power and Light Care to Share program.
Along with the Human Services Department, there are private groups that offer help, including churches and organizations.
Community Church of Vero Beach budgets $40,000 every year through its traditional Christian Ministry Outreach service to help those who qualify with their rent or utilities, according to Bob Lawton, director of the church’s missions ministry.
“Those funds are now depleted,” Lawton said.
The church is also expanding a test program it started this year that was originally available only for church members.
Dubbed the “Barnabus Project,” the church has collected more than $45,000 in donations and matched it for a total of $110,000, to help those facing economic hardships through hunger, housing and health.
The project also has identified members of the church with skills that can be called upon to help others – whether it be skilled labor, counseling, and guidance.
Lawton said that in years past, the church tried to stretch its dollars to helping only the most critical cases.
“The rules today have changed,” he said, adding that even the moderate cases have become extreme.
