The United Way is running out of options for the increasing number of callers seeking ways to stay warm as temperatures stay below or near freezing.
In December, calls for help with past-due utility bills were 55 percent higher than the year before, United Way officials said, and that was before a week of freezing temperatures in January.
The agency reported calls to 211 -- the sort that come to United Way from the community looking for referrals to various charity aid -- were flooding the center this month. And that's just a taste of what may come in February, when January heating bills come due, officials said.
"People are calling in and needing heaters because they don't have enough heat," said Dr. John Hayes, head of the 211 program. "Some homes here are just too drafty, and they are like sieves when this cold air comes through."
In addition to calls for help paying light bills, 211 callers are hearing from more people who need space heaters, refills on their propane tanks and other aid, Dr. Hayes said. Unlike electric bills, filling fuel tanks takes several hundred dollars.
So far, 211 personnel have been able to find assistance for most people, but the money is running short, and the unusual requests are catching charities that assist 211 flat-footed.
"Our clients are having to make tough decisions between paying their rent or their utility bills," said Kimberly George, Salvation Army spokeswoman. "The Salvation Army would like to help with both, but we have limited funding. We have never had so many calls for assistance with propane. We have never had so many calls requesting heaters."
All this demand has the charities turning to the public with their hands out.
Ms. George said the community's financial assistance is necessary to keep going. Dr. Hayes said his organization would like folks with spare space heaters or a willingness to help with donating propane to call 211.
Even donations for warm clothing are helpful. And people can make contributions via their EPB light bills and gas bills, he said.
The United Way serves as a clearing house, sending needy callers to the Northside Neighborhood House, the Salvation Army, the Samaritan House and the Episcopal Metropolitan Ministry, among others.
EPB is not cutting off power during freezing temperatures, but customers shouldn't rely on that, said power company spokeswoman Lacie Newton.
"Because of the low temperatures, we have not disconnected electric service to any customer either last week or this week so far," Ms. Newton said. "We make a day-by-day decision on this, taking into consideration the weather and projected temperatures for the day."
Customers can make payment arrangements if their electricity service is near or already scheduled for disconnection, she said.
"That said, we want to encourage any customer who's having trouble to call us so we help work out a payment plan before temperatures begin rising again, which they are projected to do soon," Ms. Newton said.
Charities are expecting a flood of utility-assistance requests next month after a bone-chilling first week of 2010.
The Tennessee Valley Authority reported that electricity consumption in the week ending Sunday rose to a record 4,633 gigawatt-hours. That was more than 200 gigawatt-hours higher than the previous weekly record power demand set in August 2007, when air conditioners operated around the clock to keep buildings cool during a summer heat wave.
Cold temperatures last Friday pushed total electricity consumption that day to a new daily record of 701 gigawatt-hours, surpassing the previous record of 673 gigawatt-hours.
Staff writer Dave Flessner contributed to this story.
CALLS INCREASING
* Gas bill payment assistance, up by 35 percent
* Electric space heaters, 30 in 2010 (compared to 0 in 2009)
* Warm clothing requests have gone from 6 to 66
* Utility bill assistance, 55 percent increase from December 2008 to 2009
Source: United Way