P.E.I. expands home heating assistance program as prices rise
The price of home heating oil has gone up on Prince Edward Island, but some relief is coming for those hardest hit by rising prices.
The province announced another expansion to its home heating program as prices increased by seven-and-a-half cents per litre Friday.
The spike in prices comes as temperatures begin to routinely drop below freezing.
“The price of food is more, the price of housing has gone up, the price of heating your home has gone up, and so many people are closer to that line of really needing help,” said John Burton with the Salvation Army.
Burton says this season alone, they’ve already given out one million dollars under the program, and it’s not yet the coldest time of the year.
The program has expanded rapidly. In the last two years, the income threshold to apply has doubled and the amount of money applicants can get has more than tripled.
The amount available to Islanders is now $1,200 per calendar year, an increase of $200. The income threshold to apply is now $45,000 for individuals and $60,000 for families, an increase of $10,000 and $15,000 respectively.
Early in 2021, the cap was $30,000 for only $350.
The Salvation Army says it’s already seen an increase in inquiries, even though the expansion was only announced this week.
“It’s going to be a steady flow of people, and I’m hoping that we can fit as many people back into the program in December as we can,” said Burton.
The program is open to anyone who pays their own heating costs.
The Salvation Army is encouraging anyone who may be eligible to sign up by email, by phone, or by dropping in to their office in Charlottetown.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
ByteDance prefers TikTok shutdown in U.S. if legal options fail, Reuters sources say
TikTok owner ByteDance would prefer to shut down its loss-making app rather than sell it if the Chinese company exhausts all legal options to fight legislation to ban the platform from app stores in the U.S., four sources said.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.