As Maryland consumers brace for upcoming electric rate hikes, officials at the Maryland Fuel Fund are bracing for an anticipated drop in donations as donors stretch dollars to pay their own bills.

“Right now no one knows how much our bills will go up but when it hits, it will be like an initial sticker shock,” said Mary Ellen Vanni, executive director of the Maryland Fuel Fund. “We all have to pay the same rate and it will impact families across the board, but for poor families it consumes more than 10 percent of their income and our average client only makes $13,000 a year.”

Vanni said that last year the Fuel Fund assisted over 21,000 Marylanders or 7,000 families with their utility bills providing once-a-year grants ranging from $185 to $400. The average Fuel Fund client is a family of three.

“Sadly, we did not resolve this issue in the legislative session now there is no alternative but a special session to prevent this unfair rate increase that will be a hardship for many Maryland residents,” said Delegate and Baltimore City mayoral candidate Jill Carter.

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“The governor makes enough money to pay his bills but I live on a military disability check with two children,” said Anne Arundel country resident Christina Dixon. “I struggle to pay my bills now. I voted for [O’Malley] because he said he would stop the hike. I wasted my vote.”

Vanni said her agency has had to more than double the amount of assistance it gave to its clients, all of whom were assisted the year before. “Our numbers are going up and I fear the hike will impact our donations.”

Vanni said the other phenomena she fears is a public health crisis.

According to her, many poor families go without electricity over the summer as they struggle to repay their winter bills. That translates to no electricity for cooking, hot baths, air conditioning or fans for seniors or those with respiratory or health concerns.

“We see families where the kids skin and clothes are dirty because they haven’t had hot water for baths or to wash clothes or they haven’t had hot meals. These kids have trouble doing homework because they go months without electricity. These families use flashlights. Open windows and do everything they can not to use electricity in the summer so the can save up enough money to pay off their winter bill and have electricity the next winter,” she added.

Vanni said Baltimore Gas and Electric gave the nonprofit $2 million to help, but that money Vanni said was quickly spent.

“The need is increasing. We are now seeing more seniors, those whose pensions aren’t stretching to cover their utility bills, people who were too proud to ask for help and those who used to donate are now coming to the Fuel Fund.”

To help shore up the Maryland Fuel Fund, donors can call 410-821-3022.

rchappelle@baltimoreexaminer.com