An emergency assistance program that helps residents pay their heating bills announced that it is pausing in March.

Those who receive help from Operation Fuel will not receive any assistance this upcoming month due to a high number of requests.

Operation Fuel staff has been inundated with applications and are having a hard time keeping up with demand. They hope with four weeks of closing up shop that they can focus on getting back on track to meet the demand.

"We are going through an unprecedented amount of demand," said Operation Fuel Executive Director Brenda Watson. "We certainly ensure that the people who have applied that they're application gets approved so that they get the service they're expecting."

Andrew Todd has benefitted from the assistance the program provides twice before.

"If there wasn't a program like this out there, I don't know what I would've done to heat my home for the winter," Todd said. He said as long as they come back, their help is appreciated with whatever they can provide.

"It's something and thank God, we're going into the warmer months, so hopefully people should be able to make it through," he added.

The program will resume April 3 with a change: Grants will be returning to the original amount, from $1,000 to $500.

"With the hopes that we can help more households that way and spread the dollars out more," Watson explained.

Operation Fuel said this issue they are facing truly highlights the need that is out there about the impacts of higher fuel and utility costs, but they can't provide the help alone.

The program said people in need in March should contact their utility or the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program.

The Operation Fuel program will resume in April.