(Harrisburg) -- A new survey by a state agency shows more families across the Commonwealth can't afford heating as we head into the coldest part of the year. The Public Utility Commission's annual Cold Weather Survey shows more than 17,000 households are not able to pay for central heating this winter. PUC spokeswoman Denise McCracken says there are a number of programs to help people pay utility bills. "What we want to tell people is that you don't have to suffer in this cold weather. Families who have never faced these issues in the past are now faced with things like terminations. I think they're not really sure where to go because they didn't have to go anywhere in the past," McCracken says. She adds more than 2,500 households report using potentially unsafe heating sources when budgets are stretched thin. McCracken says the PUC encourages people to contact their utilities to make arrangements to pay their bills, and people can also seek help by calling the PUC at 1-800-692-7380.