[June 30, 2011] Need for relief heats up with temperature in Myrtle Beach area Tweet Jun 27, 2011 (The Sun News - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The heat might be causing many to crank up the air conditioning in their homes. Knowing that, several help agencies expect to see area residents seeking assistance with their utility bills in the next few weeks, while plumbing and electrical companies are seeing people wanting to buy new cooling units or have the current ones repaired. "We're very busy because of the hot weather," said Verlon Wulf, owner of Carolina Cool in Surfside Beach. "We get 80 to 100 calls a day." Grand Strand temperatures were above 89 degrees -- the normal high this time of the month -- June 17 through June 21 with the 20th and 21st being excessive heat days, said Rachel Zouzias, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Wilmington, N.C. A record temperature of 98 degrees was reached on June 20, which broke the record of 96 degrees set in 2009 based on an automated surface observing system in North Myrtle Beach, Zouzias said. This week is expected to be normal, she said. But the recent high temperatures likely will lead to more demand for assistance in paying utilities, officials say. "I think we're going to see and feel the brunt of it in the next two weeks or so," said Margaret Owens, executive director of the North Strand Helping Hand in Longs. The agency spent $2,866.54 on 42 utility bills in June 2010 compared with $1,910.83 it spent on 29 utility bills, including electric and water bills, in June 2009, Owens said. As of Friday, the agency has spent $1,225.34 on 22 utility bills, Owens said. She said the level of assistance is lower so far this June than June 2010 because the agency anticipates people will start to come in over the next couple of weeks with higher bills, and because the agency's income is significantly lower this year compared to last year. That means limited help for people. Gail Steinfield, executive director of Churches Assisting People in Conway, said her organization is in a similar situation. That's partly because federal Emergency Food and Shelter National Board Program funding has not yet come to several Horry County agencies -- including CAPS and North Strand Helping Hand, which provide shelter and/or rent, utility and food assistance. CAPS spent $8,965 on 70 electric bills in June 2010, up from the $4,546 it spent on 82 electric bills in June 2009, Steinfield said. She said more people have been asking for help the past couple of years, and he has no doubt that the big utility bills are coming. Brenda Ryan, director of social services in Horry County for the Salvation Army, said the agency's demand is 30 to 35 percent greater than last year. The agency, which also assists people with their utility bills, has been holding a fan drive for the past two years, Ryan said. As of Friday, the agency had 21 fans to distribute. The goal is to receive 75 fans this year. Last year's goal was 50 fans, which the agency reached, Ryan said. "It's a less expensive way people can help make a difference in someone's life," Ryan said. She said the drive has been a popular one. Caring & Sharing Inc. in Hemingway has also gotten its fair share of requests for fans. Founder Carl Harmon said the charity that gives senior citizens and disabled people, food, financial help and other types of aid, has seen the demand skyrocket in the past month. "We're getting so many calls," Harmon said last week. "People ask for window fans and air conditioners. I bought 29 window fans at Dollar General. That was all they had that day. But I don't buy anyone an air conditioner unless they already had one in the home, because it increases their utility bill. "We're trying to find some funding for air conditioning," Harmon said. The agency, which serves all of Williamsburg and Georgetown counties and parts of Horry, Florence and Marion counties, has helped pay utility bills for 161 families so far this year, Harmon said. Last year, the agency helped 302 families with their utility bills. Utility companies also have programs to help their customers who have a hard time with their utility bills. Adrel Langley, manager of community relations for the Santee Electric Cooperative Inc., said customers have the option of payment arrangements or budget billing, in which a customer pays about the same amount each month. The company also offers energy audits and energy tips to help people find ways to save energy. "Heating and cooling makes up 70 percent of people's electricity bills," said Langley, who said the company is researching the possibility of starting up some new programs. "The weather drives electric use." Santee Electric, which has service in Georgetown County west of the Intracoastal Waterway, also has a program in which customers have the option of having their bills rounded up to the nearest dollar so the company can give the extra money to local help agencies. The program helps other customers who request assistance with their bills. Santee Cooper, which serves Horry and Georgetown counties, offers similar assistance. "Customers are doing what we expect when the temperatures get above 90 degrees," said Mollie Gore, public relations director of corporate communications for Santee Cooper. "Bills reflect an increase use of energy. It's typical behavior. We are helping customers change habits by using some energy efficiency programs." Energy efficiency programs can entice people to switch out their old units for higher efficiency units, Wulf said. Santee Cooper offers a low-interest loan program so customers can borrow money to make their homes more energy efficient, Gore said. The company also has recycling and rebate programs, including an energy efficient refrigerator rebate program, she said. Customers concerned about their bills can use compact fluorescent light bulbs, which can save money as they don't give off as much heat as regular light bulbs, and/or have the company do a home energy analysis to determine why bills are high and how to lower them, Gore said. Contact JANELLE FROST at 443-2404. To see more of The Sun News, or to subscribe to the newspaper, go to http://www.thesunnews.com/. Copyright (c) 2011, The Sun News, Myrtle Beach, S.C. Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services. 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