Cash-strapped families are getting their electricity cut off in increasing numbers, according to social assistance agencies.The Coalition for the Protection of Children’s Nicola Fleming said the majority of the charity’s new clients over the past year “are coming in with disconnection letters from Belco”.Belco yesterday launched a campaign to help needy residents in response.Through Neighbours Helping Neighbours, the company pledged funds of $20,000 each to three social assistance charities, intended to match their payouts to clients.The Coalition has paid out $14,000 over the last 12 months to help the Island’s hardest-hit families pay their electric bills.Similarly, seniors charity Age Concern has paid out more than $50,000 over the same span of time, according to Executive Director Claudette Fleming.Family Centre is the third recipient of the programme, aimed at helping “true hardship cases”, a Belco spokeswoman said.Ms Feldman said food was the Coalition’s biggest expense, but electricity assistance came next.“We work with a fantastic representative at Belco to arrange a minimum payment that we will try to assist with, and then work with the client parent and Belco to determine a feasible payment plan,” she explained.“We also try as best as we can to coordinate with the Department of Financial Assistance who also provide Belco payments for enrolled families. Sometimes, we need to work with families on lowering their electricity costs because their bills exceed what financial assistance or their own budgets can afford.”She said there was “a fine line” between personal responsibility and simply being unable to pay the bills.“We do our best to help figure that out, and where necessary support parents in making smarter, more sustainable decisions.“At the end of the day, our primary concern is that children, especially younger children, do not return home from school to a house without electricity.”The programme was launched by Belco president and CEO Walter Higgins and chief operating officer Denton Williams.Family Centre executive director Martha Dismont said: “It really does bring forth a wonderful spirit in Bermuda that we’re going to need moving forward. It gives people more hope, which is what we really need.”She praised the campaign’s case-specific criteria, which is tallied closely to the circumstances of struggling residents.Age Concern, for example, approached Belco for help with a senior citizen who was “faced with the terrible decision of whether to keep her medication or keep her electricity on”, Mr Higgins said.The charity later discovered an electrical short in the senior’s home that had been running her bills higher.Belco’s payouts will match the charities’ contributions to electric bills, and will also help with administration costs.The company will also help clients with personalised payments plans and, when requested, give a visual energy audit at the premises.