SALISBURY, Md. - Bitter cold across the Eastern Shore is driving up energy use, and a Salisbury-based agency says more people are now asking for help paying heating and electric bills.
SHORE UP, which administers energy assistance for Wicomico County through Maryland’s Office of Home Energy Programs, has seen a noticeable uptick in daily traffic in recent days, according to Corey Bowen, the agency’s chief communications and development officer.
“Normally we’d see about 50 clients in the course of a day,” Bowen said. With colder weather and storm conditions, he said that number rose to about 75 clients per day.
Bowen said the agency received six crisis cases recently involving households that were already cut off or on the verge of being cut off, and staff were able to address those situations quickly. He said many other callers are reaching out because bills arrived higher than expected, or because they are trying to avoid a shutoff.
SHORE UP can help eligible households with electricity, gas or fuel oil, depending on a home’s heating source, Bowen said. But he also cautioned that some applicants may not see payments reflected on their utility accounts right away.
“The difficult thing for us is that once we process them,” Bowen said, “the state is still behind in processing applications,” which can delay when payments appear on accounts.
Bowen added that some households may also be surprised by how benefits are distributed compared with past years, including smaller awards in some cases and changes to how payments are applied.
Maryland’s Office of Home Energy Programs, part of the Department of Human Services, says energy assistance is available year-round for income-eligible households and that people do not need a turnoff notice to apply. The agency encourages households to apply early so funds can be applied as soon as possible.
Bowen echoed that message locally, urging people to reach out before a situation becomes a crisis. SHORE UP’s energy assistance office for Wicomico County is listed at 500 Snow Hill Road in Salisbury, and the program can be reached at 410-341-9634.
In Annapolis on Tuesday, Gov. Wes Moore highlighted rising utility costs and announced the Lower Bills and Local Power Act as part of his 2026 legislative agenda.