Multi Service Center Energy

I have had good interactions with the people who work here. The steps for energy assistance is well laid out on their website and the process runs way more efficiently if you take the time and effort to go through the pre-screening to see if you qualify. It's not the employees fault nor should you be upset with them if you go to your appointment to find out you don't qualify. The staff on site doesn't determine the dollar amounts or make the rules, so to blame them for something they can't control does not make sense. They will help you if you provide the documentation they require and they will answer your questions to the best of their ability. Remember that since covid, their workload and turnaround time for the extremely high demands of the huge influx of people requesting help has got to be extremely stressful and challenging for the people working there. Before covid I could go online and schedule an appointment that would only be one to two weeks out. Since covid, it can be 4 weeks or longer to get an appointment. I had to try to schedule an appointment every day for a few weeks before I finally got lucky enough to get an appointment (the last 2 were via phone and I submitted my documents online several days before my scheduled appointment). By pre submitting my documents, the phone appointment was less than 10 minutes. I received the paperwork to sign and return to them within 2 days of my phone appointment. Once they receive my signed documents, it can take 4 to 8 weeks to hear back from them as they are severely back logged. As I saw another reviewer write they are worried about that time frame as their power bill is due and they don't have funds to pay it. The person who I talked to said if you call your utility provider and tell them you just filed for LIHEAP, you may be able to get the utility company to allow you to put a hold on your payments til you get your energy assistance funding...this is for the utility company to decide, not the service center. From my understanding, this Burien location is going to be closing down soon and they are merging into the Federal Way location. Just be patient, do the required documentation and paperwork and you'll get through it.

This place has never been friendly or caring. The lady I have dealt with the past two years has always been rude and just not a happy person to say the least. I’m now finding that signing up for energy assistance is non existent. I have tried to sign up online, over the phone and sent numerous emails to staff. No one can help me. How can an agency whose goal is to help people maybe should show come kind of empathy and true care in helping the less fortunate. There needs to be more agencies that over see the LIHEAP program so there is not just one agency over it all. Hope my energy is not shut off. Happy Holidays none the less.

Their website for online applications require a capatvha that doesnt show on mobile browser. By the time i got to a computer applications filled up in 10 mins :(

The young woman, my elder, was very respectful, kind, helpful and touched my heart. It wasn't even any thing big, but the fact she noticed me and spoke to me every tome to ensure I had everything I needed, went a LLOONNNGGGG way!! The young lady in the back, has an extremely tall sun. But she was AMAZING! I HAD ALL THE REQUIRED DOCUMENTS!! Meeting took FIVE minutes, TOPS!! NOT TO MENTION, I GOT THE HELP MY FAMILY AND I TRULY NEEDED TO STAY WARM THIS WINTER!! I FELT LIKE A PERSON, NO PUN INTENDED, SOMETIMES AGENCIES, MAKE YOU FEEL LIKE LESS OF ONE. GREAT JOB LADIES!!

I came in to get assistance and I was over by less than a hundred dollars. That hurt but the young lady that helped me provided other resources. Glad that they're places that help unlike calling 211 which is a run around