With record high temperatures this week, it would seem that paying for winter heating bills might be far from some people’s minds.

But it’s really not, according to Barbara Page, Warren County community services coordinator at Community Action of Southern Kentucky. Page helps people sign up for subsidies through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

“We’ve been getting calls for about three weeks from people wanting to know when they can sign up,” Page said.

People on fixed incomes can pre-register beginning Wednesday, but the subsidies won’t be released until after Nov. 1. The formal registration for others begins Nov. 1 and is based on the first letter of the head of household’s last name.

Page said Community Action has had multiple calls throughout the summer requesting help with high cooling bills, but the agency has no help for cooling. That’s one reason why Page believes there will be more requests for help during the heating season.

“Even if they aren’t in arrears now, this would give them a credit on their account,” Page said. “It would free them up a little money for food and medicine.”

Leslie Talley, director of community services for Community Action, said the agency wants anyone who is eligible for the subsidy to take advantage of it.

“It is there so it will prevent people from being in a crisis situation,” Talley said. A crisis situation is when someone is in immediate danger of running out of fuel or having their electricity cut off.

In 2015, 1,057 Warren Countians benefited from the subsidy program, with the payments ranging from $34 to $180, based on income, household size and type of energy used.

Barren County had one of the higher number of requests filled last year: 509. Talley said that money was actually gone before Glasgow Electric Plant Board bills started rolling in with the new coincident peak rate.

“So we really have no hard numbers to gauge what requests might be there this winter,” Talley said. “I do know we had an increase in calls from people who were EPB customers requesting help with their utility bills.”

But there was no assistance available for cooling bills.

People in Barren County who might have needed help providing food for their families as a result of high bills were directed to other services in the county because Community Action doesn’t have a pantry there. The rate controversy stirred the community and brought in the Kentucky attorney general. The EPB put in place a temporary rate structure and is formulating a new one.

Page said the cost of food and medicine continues to increase, putting a crunch on spending for other essentials such as energy.

“Plus these are people who are having to make do with so little to start with,” Page said.

Last year, a total of 4,487 southcentral Kentucky households received $582,716. The number receiving subsidies in Allen County was 506, Butler County, 225; Edmonson County, 301; Hart County, 557; Logan County, 400; Metcalfe County, 359; Monroe County, 425; and Simpson County, 148.

To be eligible, a household must be responsible for home energy costs, directly or as an undesignated portion of their rent, and have a combined household income for the calendar month prior to the month of application not in excess of 130 percent of the federal poverty level as listed in the Income Eligibility Guidelines. As an example, that figure for a family of four is $2,633 a month. A person must live in Kentucky when the application is made and apply in the county of residence, and not have liquid resources in excess of $2,000, or $3,000 if at least one person in the household is 60 years old or disabled, ($4,000 if resources are being used for living expenses due to catastrophic illness).

Applicants must have verification from landlord that heating expenses are included in rent or a copy of the most recent heating bill, Social Security or green cards for each person in the household and proof of household income for the prior month.

— Community Action has offices in all 10 counties of the Barren River region, information about which is available at www.casoky.org. People should call ahead and make an appointment.

— Follow City Editor Robyn L. Minor on Twitter at @bowserminor or visit bgdailynews.com.