Last modified: Thursday, November 20, 2008 1:35 AM EST GUEST COLUMN: Fight high heating costs with state help, self-help BY SCOTT BROWN As the temperature begins to drop and fuel prices remain high, many families and seniors in my district are worried about how they are going to heat their homes this winter. Many low-income households find themselves strapped by their heating costs, because they are still paying for last year's high bills. According to the state Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs website, the average price for a gallon of home heating oil as of Nov. 18 was $2.75. Although that price represents a $1.29 drop from $4.04 a gallon a month earlier, it's still a staggering number for many people. There are numerous organizations as well as your utility provider that can offer assistance. Massachusetts protects our most vulnerable citizens from having electric or gas heating service shut off. If you cannot afford to pay your gas or electric heating bill, your utility may not terminate your service ifall residents in your household are over 65 years old, or you have a financial hardship and either you, or someone in your home, is seriously ill; or you have an infant in the home under 12 months; or it is between Nov. 15 and March 15 and you need the service to heat your home. If you fall into any of these categories, contact your utility company to apply. You can also contact your gas or electric utility to set up a budget billing plan which spreads your payments into 12 equal amounts over the year. If you have an overdue balance that you cannot pay in full, a payment plan allows you to pay equal monthly installments along with your current bill. If you expect to have difficulty paying your heating bills, you may qualify for assistance through the Low Income Energy Assistance Program or through other programs. LIHEAP provides direct payment subsidies where annual incomes are less than $42,400 for a family of four. You don't need to have an unpaid bill to receive energy assistance, and you can receive this money without being on welfare. To determine which agency to apply to, call the Department of Housing and Community Development's Heat Line at 1-800-632-8175, or visit the Web site at mass.gov/dhcd. If you're a low-income, elderly or handicapped resident, the Weatherization Assistance Program and HEARTWAP help limited-income families in reducing heating bills by providing home energy conservation services and heating system repair and replacement. Call 1-800-632-8175, or visit www.mass.gov/dhcd. The Good Neighbor Energy Fund, administered by the Salvation Army, provides energy assistance to customers who don't qualify for federal or state funds. Questions? Call 1-800-334-3047, or visit magoodneighbor.org. Even if you're not eligible for these assistance programs, there are things you can do to save money on your heating bills: Caulk or weatherstrip windows and doors. Make sure heat registers are not blocked. Install a programmable thermostat to automatically drop to a lower temperature at night and when you are not home. Tape a sheet of aluminum foil (shiny side out) to the wall behind radiators; this will help make them more efficient. Insulate attic, walls, basement, and crawl space. Install storm windows and doors. Move chairs and beds away from exterior walls. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads to save hot water. Lower the thermostat on water heater. A setting of 120º provides comfortable hot water for most uses. Insulate the first 6 feet of hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater. Drain a quart of water from your water tank every three months to remove sediment that lowers the efficiency of your heater. Clean and replace filters on furnaces as needed to permit better air flow. Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators. Keep the damper closed when your fireplace is not in use. Keep the draperies and shades on windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home SCOTT BROWN, R-Wrentham, is state senator for the Norfolk, Bristol and Middlesex District, which includes the Sun Chronicle communities of Attleboro Wards 1 and 2 and Precinct 3A, North Attleboro, Plainville, Wrentham and Norfolk.