By MATT LINDSEY

CANTON — More than 3,000 people in St. Lawrence County will receive heating assistance this year, which is about one in every seven households, according to Bobbie Kitts, who runs the HEAP program for the county Department of Social Services.

Kitts said that number is one par with previous years. She has been involved in the program for about 13 years.

The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) opened for regular benefits Nov. 13 and St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services is still accepting applications.

St. Lawrence County residents can call (315) 379-2303 to receive an application.

“We’ve never turned anyone away — I’ve been here since 2004,” Kitts said.

That is if you qualify based on income eligibility.

The money is grant money from the federal government and is not paid back by families or individuals. Kitts said there are no circumstances in which money is returned to social services or the government.

This heating season, eligible applicants may receive one regular benefit, one emergency fuel benefit, and one emergency electric benefit. The income guidelines for the 2017-2018 heating assistance program are as follows: For a household with one person the income limit is $2,318; two-person household limit is $3,031; three-person household limit is $3,744; four-person household limit is $4,457; five-person household limit is $5,170; six-person household limit is $5,883; seven-person household limit is $6,017; eight-person household limit is $6,150; nine-person household limit is $6,284; ten-person household limit is $6,418 and eleven-person household limit is $6,733.

Home heating oil prices are up about 13.8 percent in the North Country region from 284.9 cents per gallon this year versus 251.7 cents per gallon last year, according to New York State Energy Research & Development Authority.

The emergency component of HEAP will open Jan. 2, 2018. HEAP customers who need electricity to run their furnaces and receive a disconnect notice will not be able to apply for the emergency benefit until January 2.

The State has tentatively scheduled a HEAP closing date of March 15, 2018 for regular and emergency benefits.

To communicate with the HEAP Unit by e-mail at heapoffice@co.st-lawrence.ny.us or heapoffice@stlawco.org.

In addition to HEAP applications being available at the St. Lawrence County Department of Social Services in Canton, applications are available at Catholic Charities in Ogdensburg, the St. Vincent De Paul Society in Massena, the Neighborhood Center in Gouverneur, and the mybenefits.ny.gov website.

The HEAP regular benefit for oil, kerosene, and propane this year is calculated to be between $675. and $726. The regular HEAP benefit for St. Lawrence Gas, Massena Electric, and National Grid is calculated to be between $350 and $401.

This year’s regular HEAP benefit for wood, pellets, and coal is to be between $525 and $576. Applicants who cut their own wood and need a HEAP benefit must either choose a wood vendor or have the HEAP benefit applied to their utility bill.

The emergency HEAP benefit for oil, kerosene, and propane is calculated to be $675 ($525 for wood, $350 for natural gas, and $490 for electric heat).

The emergency benefit for heat related electricity necessary to operate a furnace is calculated to be $140. Emergency benefits will be based on income, household size, and available resources.