We talked to residents on the South and West Sides about gas and electric costs, resources and what assistance programs they wish existed to help with debt and disconnections.
By Diane Bustamante, Samantha Cabrera Friend, Sarah Conway and Shabaka Verna
Photo: Fré Sonneveld/Unsplash
Nearly 3 out of 10 Chicagoans were behind on their heating bills last January, according to Crain’s Chicago Business. Utility affordability hits Chicago’s South and West Side most acutely.
This fall, one team of City Bureau fellows is looking into utility costs—in particular, gas and electric bills—to understand how Chicagoans are impacted by utility debt and disconnections on the South and West Sides. To understand this issue, we visited three neighborhoods with high rates of utility debt and disconnections (Woodlawn, Englewood and North Lawndale) to talk with residents about utility costs, what resources are available and what they wish were different with assistance programs.
Woodlawn
We met Dr. Audrey Tanksley, 41, outside the United States Postal Service office on 61st Street. She lives in Beverly and is opening a community clinic and wellness center on 67th and St. Lawrence.
What utility bill cost you the most each month?
Highest utility costs? It kind of fluctuates with the seasons, right? In the summertime, my lights are higher. In the wintertime, my gas is higher. But I'd say consistently my water is high as hell.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
Absolutely. So I am aware of at least two programs, the CEDA program and then the LIHEAP program.
How did you find out about those programs?
I'm an internist. I've worked in federally qualified health centers for low-income communities my entire career and I grew up in one as well. Before, I was a physician, when I was just kind of a struggling individual, I can remember applying for assistance from those programs myself.
Where would you like to get this information on utilities and support?
I think you'd have to do a multi-pronged approach. So many people think to go to faith-based centers, and I think that's absolutely a good approach for African American communities. However, there is a large population of people who don't attend church or faith-based institutions. And so I think you have to do it in different ways, right? Have it at the doctor's office, put it into community clinics, right, where people actually go to get their health care. Put it in the grocery stores where people shop. Put it in the day cares, where they drop their kids off, but make it accessible in places we visit.
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We met Donna Clark, 62, outside the United States Postal Service office on 61st Street. She lives in Woodlawn.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
The electricity. Now, I’m OK in my new building but I was living in a building that was old and it sucked up electricity. They were sending me a report telling me how much energy I was using. I'm using more energy than the people next door. My landlord figured out it was her electrical. It wasn't up to standard. It had never been upgraded. Bills are higher for people when they live in older homes because the wiring and all of that stuff is old. I mean anytime you plug up your phone and it gets hot. They tell you about energy saver appliances but you can't do that in a place with old wiring that hasn't been updated since it was built.
Where I live [now], my utility bill is $25 a month now. I don't have any complaints about utilities right now as I don't pay for gas because everything's electric in the building. Anything could change. I've only been there since June 15 so we haven't had winter yet.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
First, you can call the electric company then they will refer you. They send out a list of a whole bunch of programs, charities, organizations. Being eligible is another story. But fortunately, if you’re poor enough, you're eligible. And hopefully, you haven't asked them for help before.
Will they not help you if you have asked for help before?
Well, put it like this. If they just paid your bill, for $700, $800, $900. If you call them up, you can get a payment plan and they'll stretch it out til you're 90 years old but that's added interest. But as long as you can afford to pay monthly, it's a way to keep yourself from getting your stuff cut off. Some people just don't try. But I call, complain, beg, ask and I've been successful so far.
But for some people, do they not know where to go for help?
Well, I'mma tell you. If you know this country, you might not know where to go. But you can't sit here and say, “Well, I'm not gonna call the utility company today.” No, you call them as soon as you know you’re behind so you won't be in trouble because the people on the other end of that phone have some discretion about giving you a little bit more time. But you have to ask.
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We met Darrell Powell, 42, in Woodlawn. He lives in Rosemoor, a community in Roseland Roseland.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
Probably the lights. ComEd is ridiculous.
Do you know of any programs in place people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
They have a few programs that have to do with the utilities, but that was only dependent upon the fact that you had to be like three or four months behind. I wouldn't qualify.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
You know what, it's hard to say. Maybe a program geared towards working-class people because a lot of the programs are only for people who don't work or haven't been working.
Because of the pandemic, I was unemployed for 11 months. I was behind on everything. But I still wasn't able to get assistance because I got unemployment, which is terrible. But, if they had a program for working-class people, it'd be a lot better because you build up the economy.
Where would you like to get this information on utilities and support?
At our town hall meetings, they never talked about programs that help. If it is, again, it's always geared towards people who are not working or people who have been laid off for so long. What about the people who are working and are just not making enough?
Englewood
We met Jay Valentine, 42, in Englewood. He lives in Englewood and is the owner of popular neighborhood food stand Yo City Dog.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
Probably electricity.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
Just LIHEAP. It's just right there at the end of that building.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
Some type of wage-based curve system. If you say people are under this type of gross income each year, maybe we'll give him a 20% curve and take out some kind of grant to put that money back into the community.
What information do you or people in your neighborhood want to know about utilities? What questions do you have about utilities?
Green energy programs for low-income people. They got this program where they're putting solar panels on people's homes. I found that you had to meet some type of wage requirement, you know, you had to make over $50,000 a year. So basically, you're gonna give that free energy to people that already have it. Solar panels could help millions and millions of people but it should just be implemented across the board, and hand it to the poor. If it's going to cut costs, who needs it more than poor people?
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We met Asa Sams, 57, at a bus stop near Kennedy King College. She is from Englewood.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
The gas bill. I have Peoples Gas.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
No, not really, I don’t. They can go to LIHEAP cause 9 times out of 10, if it was cut off, you’ve still got to pay some amount to get it back on. If LIHEAP doesn't know, they can direct you to someone else to help you.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
They need to have a program to help folks or let them know that if there is a disconnection there is the LIHEAP program.
What information do you or people in your neighborhood want to know about utilities? What questions do you have about utilities?
My thing is if you ain't got no problem with Peoples Gas, don't switch, because they’re always talking about the other one is better. It's not better. … It creates more problems. At least Peoples Gas gives you a chance to pay your bill. Nicor don't. The minute you can't pay it, they ready to cut you off so at least Peoples Gas will give you a chance to pay.
Where would you like to get this information on utilities and support?
They need more information about it, and there's nothing wrong with asking a question. Well, my biggest thing about that is that when you’re having trouble paying bills, don't duck and dodge people. At least go to them and let them know.
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We met Amadou Dia, 22, at a bus stop near Kennedy King College. He is from Senegal but resides in Englewood.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
I live with someone who pays for utilities like water and light because there’s a lot of kids in the house.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
No, I’m not sure.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
For families to have a reduced cost for utilities or a discount because in Chicago everything is expensive.
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We met Reggie Chapman, 58, near a taco truck in front of US Bank. He lives in Englewood.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
My phone bill.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
There is, right upstairs, there [pointing towards US Bank building] Teamwork Englewood where there's various community organizations, grassroots organizations that help people with CEDA, which is a supplement for your electric bill. And that's about all I know.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
That's a great question to ask, but I'm not the right person. Teamwork Englewood was right upstairs there just last week. They had a fair where they were helping people with rental and utility assistance and expungement. You know, the neighborhood has the resources. It's just that the residents don't have the wherewithal to seek the knowledge, and believe me, I'm back at school because I'm retired and I'm tired of sitting back at home doing nothing.
What information do you or people in your neighborhood want to know about utilities? What questions do you have about utilities?
They're quite visible, they are very visible, and they aren't the only ones. But [Teamwork Englewood] is the one that I think of off hand because of what they had going on last week. And the proximity of where we are now. And this being a major hub, you know, a lot of people bank over here and a lot of people shop and do everything else. So they were here with information. This is where one would seek out the information.
North Lawndale
We met Alicia Lee, 23, at a Douglass Park playground. She lives in North Lawndale.
What utility bill costs you the most each month?
Water.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
No.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
I wish there was a program to help people pay. If they can't cover all of it, they can help them cover the rest. So I wish they had a program like that.
What information do you or people in your neighborhood want to know about utilities? What questions do you have about utilities? Everything. So how to keep the bill not so high even though you're using water, but how to keep the bill manageable.
Where would you like to get this information on utilities and support?
From someone that actually knows what they're talking about. Text alerts.
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We met Marty Campbell, 26, at a Douglass Park playground. He’s lived in North Lawndale and many parts of Chicago.
What utility bill cost you the most each month?
The Peoples Gas bill.
Do you know of anywhere people can go for support with utility costs, disconnections or utility debt?
No.
What program or assistance do you wish existed to support people experiencing high utility costs, debt or a disconnection?
Honest ones. Yeah, not like the ones out here that are here today. OK, more honest, more helpful, more understanding and respectful. You won't get that type of assistance nowadays, you get a lot of, “Oh, call us back,” “Come back when we want you to.” “We don't feel like doing our job right now.”
City Bureau wants to hear from you. If you live on the South and West Sides and have experienced utility debt or a disconnection, please reach out to us at sarah@citybureau.org.
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