High Gas Prices Not the Only Worry for Southern Illinois Residents

It's all over the news every day, gas prices are constantly going up across the states in this country. It's gotten so bad at the pumps that even lawyers and doctors are waging a sort of protest and walking or riding high efficiency scooters to work. In larger communities of the United States, people are entertaining the idea of buying hybrid vehicles since the cost of their electricity pales in comparison to the fuel costs in the present. People in southern Illinois areas don't have the option, however, due to the ridiculous energy costs in their areas. Many of the smaller country areas of the state are plagued by high natural gas prices and constant electrical hikes. The economy of these small, farm based communities is being ruined by the inability to keep the basics running while their profits keep going down due to high operating costs. Not only that, but the average salary of under $30,000 a year in most families is causing an unbearable strain on low to medium income families. With the low level of aid programs offered for working families and those with stay-at-home mothers, there's no life preserve for anyone. State agencies don't give any financial aid to families that work, and they are very limited on giving aid in food benefits because their income limits are set too low anyway and especially considering the cost of living these days.

You may wonder just how high the cost of living could be in the small towns of Illinois. The average light bill ranges between $250 and $300 for even a small apartment in those which are not subsidized. So you can imagine the electricity bills for people who live in houses. Many people have complained that their power bill alone is around $500 each month. Compared to what most residents make in these areas, it's put a real crunch on everyone. It is the opinion of many that it helps to contribute to the heat related deaths in summer months. Then you have the cost of heating your home when winter weather hits. The average price per month of using natural gas in the winter is often around $600 per month in an three bedroom home. When you total the costs of average utilities and compare it with the regular cost of living, the utilities take up half of a person's yearly salary. When you take into account of the gas situation, most people in the southern area of Illinois must travel to Paducah, Kentucky for work and it's hard to make it from one payday to the next. When I worked at Walmart in Paducah, it was costing me about $400 a month in gas after it started to jump up. I brought in less than $800 per month working that job and so half of my salary was just on paying for fuel. It was so bad that it didn't make it worth the trouble, and we have more money with me staying at home. Another problem with these smaller towns is that companies such as Ameren and Atmos energy have bullies their way into holding their position as the only utility providers in those areas.

Everyone is being hit hard by the cost of living these days, and the rate increases just go to show that nothing is sacred anymore. Life in rural areas isn't even untouchable by energy giants. Farmers can't make any money to get by with the work they do and thus it causes a greater strain on the community and nation because food prices go up. The aid programs in southern Illinois are not of any great help to most of the people who reside there. Monetary aid is rarely given and people do not want to have to jump through a million hoops for a check that hardly amounts to anything. It just makes one wonder how bad the economy will have to get before our great leaders decide to take action and fix the problems before they cause a nationwide melt-down. If not for organizations such as the Citizens Utility Board, which has a link listed, there would probably be no voice for consumers.