Non-profits brace for increased requests for help in paying utility bills after freezing weather Non-profits brace for increased requests for help in paying utility bills after freezing weather By Sabrina Wilson | February 22, 2021 at 7:22 PM CST - Updated February 22 at 7:53 PM NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - Local agencies assisting people who struggle to pay their utility bills are bracing for a flood of requests due to last week’s deep cold weather. Some say they have already seen higher demand for help. An affordable housing advocate says regulators must make sure the expected higher than normal bills are fair. Don Everard is Executive Director of Hope House, Inc., a non-profit in New Orleans.