Utility company offers help for payments by retirement living community residents

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Utility company offers help for payments by retirement living community residents

Friday, 03 July 2009 12:04

Seniors in Missouri and Illinois who may have trouble paying the utility bills in retirement living communities may be able to get some assistance from a new program.

AmerenUE says its "Clean Slate" program will help less affluent retirees by using $3 million to assist them in paying off past-due bills, having already made similar efforts in the past to help roughly 8,000 customers. Utility company offers help for payments by retirement living community residents

Utility company offers help for payments by retirement living community residents

Current customers who qualify by talking to a United Way representative or an AmerenUE customer service agent will be asked to contribute 10 percent of the past payments due before the company will erase the difference.

"Our goal is to reach customers who literally have to choose each month between paying for utilities and paying for food, medicine or other essential services," said Warner Baxter, AmerenUE president and chief executive officer.

Other programs that may aid seniors in the region include the low-income home energy assistance programs run by the two states, as well as programs run by local agencies that improve the energy efficiency of retirement homes.

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