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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Calgary police shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers dealt with a distraught individual. The incident lasted almost 20 hours.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.