AUGUSTA -- If you need help staying warm this winter, don't wait until the oil tank is dry or your electricity has already been disconnected, officials from several community organizations said Friday.

There will be help available this winter, they said, at the first meeting of a group dedicated to keeping vulnerable residents warm and in their homes.

But it's not necessarily going to be easy to find on a cold weekend in the middle of the night.

In fact, so many people are seeking help through the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, which processes applications locally for the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, some aren't likely to get even an appointment needed to review their eligibility until January. And being deemed eligible for LIHEAP funding is a requirement for other forms of aid.

But despite the importance of a LIHEAP appointment, many people who've had them haven't even shown up, said David Gilpatrick, energy services director for KVCAP.

"We've taken 7,000 applications so far. Last year, we did a little over 9,000 and I fully expect more than 10,000 this year," Gilpatrick said. "We're booked from now till January. Strangely enough, 25 percent or so aren't coming to their appointments. So we're double- and triple-booking appointments."

Gilpatrick said LIHEAP funding is practically doubling this year, climbing to about $80 million statewide.

He said the average participating household receives about $900 in fuel assistance.

Gilpatrick was one of about 30 people to attend the Home Heating Challenge 2008-09 organizational meeting Friday at the Augusta City Center.

Members of the group, which has met annually each of the past few winters to discuss ways to keep Mainers warm, included representatives of the United Way of Kennebec Valley, Salvation Army, state social-service agencies, representatives from an oil company and Central Maine Power, local residents and several municipal officials.

Participants said it can be difficult to help fill needs if people wait for help.

Holly Stover, of the state Department of Health and Human Services, suggested communities keep several five-gallon cans of kerosene available for residents to use if they are about to run out of fuel, especially at night or on a weekend. That would give people something to keep their furnaces going until they find a more long-term solution.

"Once you run out, you've got to have your furnace bled and re-fired," Stover said. "We need to find a way to get these cans of kerosene out there, so we can keep people warm through the coldest nights."

The group also works to raise funds for heating assistance, much of which go into a special local fuel fund.

Rob Gordon, executive director of the United Way of Kennebec Valley, describes that fund as a "fund of last resort," to be tapped either when all other resources have already been used, or in emergencies when other resources are not immediately available.

Last winter, the local fuel fund gave out about $40,000. The fund ran out of money in April but continued to receive funding requests even after all the money was spent, Gordon said.

The Kennebec County Sheriff's Office is helping raise money for the local fuel fund by placing blue "Heat Helper" canisters in area stores and other gathering places. The funds are distributed through the United Way and Goodwill Industries.

Winthrop resident Pat Marvin said many of the people who need help most often are not well informed about what is available.

Gordon said the United Way will put together a flier listing all the different resources available to help with heat, and the order in which those resources, generally, should be accessed.

Participants also stressed residents should do as much as they can to make sure their furnaces are clean and running efficiently, and their homes are weatherized for winter.

"Conservation is part of it," Gilpatrick said. "Weatherization is part of it. That takes that little bit of fuel and makes it go, in some cases, twice as far. The cheapest gallon of oil is the one you don't buy."

Keith Edwards -- 621-5647

kedwards@centralmaine.com