As the temperature outdoors goes up, so do electric bills to keep Southern Illinois residents cool inside. Officials with Crosswalk Community Action Agency said they have limited funds to help beat the heat and warn that $150 stipends for just 1,500 customers will not last forever.

"As you can tell, that's not a lot of money," said Kim Rutherford, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program coordinator with Crosswalk Community Action Agency in West Frankfort. "Our winter program lasts for nine months. This program lasts only two weeks. We have to take 1,500 applications in about 10 working days and it will be nearly impossible, but we'll do it."

Rutherford said Crosswalk serves Franklin, Williamson and Jefferson counties. Applicants must apply for the funding at the outreach site within their respective counties and must meet criteria set by the state. She said the funding did not increase for 2008 allocations, making it difficult to help everyone in need of assistance.

"We won't be able to serve them all," Rutherford said about those needing help. "It is targeted for at-risk households. Not everyone is eligible for this. That will knock a lot of applicants out. They have to have someone 60 years old or older or have at least one disabled person drawing permanent-disability income."

The coordinator said residents with a child under 2 years old or with an illness requiring specific air conditions are also eligible.

"They also have to be income eligible," she said. "We will take a few extra in each county because there will be denials. Once all of our appointments are filled for each county, we have to stop. People won't be happy but we only have so much money."

Rutherford said appointments will be assigned as residents request them up until the 1,500 quota has been met.

"We wish we could help everybody," she said. "But, we can't."

The state presets the number of applications awarded to each county. Rutherford said Franklin County will take 481 applications, Jefferson County will take 390 applications and Williamson County will take 631 applications.

Rutherford said each applicant accepted will receive a one-time payment of $150 to go towards electric payments for cooling. The applicant must be the account holder with the electric company and must have active service.

Debbie Thies, energy coordinator for Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council, said that office will also be offering about 1,500 applicants for the same amount of money each, but must cover a four-county area, including Jackson, Perry, Monroe and Randolph counties.

"The state has $10 million in all for the whole grant," she said. "The cooling program starts July 7 and runs through July 18."

Jackson County will take 800 applications, Monroe County will take 150 applications, Perry County will take 250 applications and Randolph County will allocate funding for 280 applications.

"It's really hard to say," Thies said about whether or not the 1,500 spots would meet the need in her target counties. "I know there is a lot of need for it but how strong will people come out for $150 when they already owe so much on their bills, anyways?"

Western Egyptian Economic Opportunity Council takes applications by appointment only. Crosswalk Community Action Agency takes applications through appointments but asks residents to make those appointments in person, at their county's outreach site. No phone appointments will be scheduled through Crosswalk. Western Egyptian will not make walk-in appointments.