Ameren review: Energy assistance

10/24/2023 8am

Of all the people in Missouri, I am the one who is in need of energy assistance and help. I am a disabled Vet with no income and no VA benefits and no SSI income. I also have a wife and 4 children. Nobody works in my home. Ameren does not help me. Their energy assistance programs are through third unrelated parties. Applying through Liheap is tricky and they either cover propane or electric, not both. You have to go to another organization in another city to apply for the clean slate program. Its just a run around. I told Ameren I am disabled and they know I am, but they still charge me full price and have no mercy towards me. This is the second time a person comes out to my house to disconnect me for non payment. I am living off of my tax refund check I get each year, and today I had to spend almost $300 of it just to keep the lights on. They dont have any direct programs to help the poor and they keep raising the prices. Its not fair. They just flood the energy assistance "advertisements" on their website to "show" that they are "offering" it, but its all useless because they are not offering it. Its the government that is helping us not Ameren. The government is the only one taking care of me and my family (food stamps, medicaid, prescription medicine). I feel Ameren is not being honest with the government. I live in a poor area of missouri where there are no jobs. We live in what was once a lead mining district. Out here there is nothing but lead toxicity in the soil, the fumes of people burning their garbage to save money (instead of paying for weekly trash pickup), heroine junkies, stray animals, and a gas station. Even Amerens power lines are drooping low and poorly constructed out here.