Marian Young, an older homeowner living in Dorchester, first started having trouble with her utilities back in 2010. After accumulating several unpaid heating bills totaling roughly $5,000, Marian’s gas service was shut off. Then, in 2020, the oil furnace providing heat to all three units in her triple-decker failed. Without the money to replace it, she turned to space heaters to heat her home.
Unfortunately, the constant use of space heaters made Marian’s electric bill skyrocket. Upon receiving a termination notice from her electricity provider, the Massachusetts Executive Office of Housing and Livable Communities referred her to ABCD for help.
ABCD immediately began working with Marian’s granddaughter to gather relevant documents. Through the Home Energy Assistance Program, ABCD prevented the termination of Marian’s electricity; ABCD’s Climate Equity & Impact Department also reached out to set up some long-overdue weatherization and heating system upgrades.
In July, Marian’s granddaughter reached out again: Marian’s home insurance provider had threatened to terminate coverage due to her house having fallen into disrepair. ABCD stepped in and sent a letter to the provider promising to make repairs in her building in partnership with the City of Boston’s Senior Home Repair Program.
ABCD then turned to addressing the final issue: fixing the heat. While installing a new gas heating system was feasible, Marian hadn’t worked with a gas provider since 2010. ABCD made the case to have Marian’s old gas debt forgiven, clearing her to enroll in new coverage and opening the door for contractors to begin installing a new heating system. “ABCD did an excellent job getting my gas service back online,” she says. “I’m very grateful for their help after having to rely on space heaters for so long.”