BANGOR – Winter is coming and Mainers are worried.

Helping people get ready for the heating season was the point of Bangor Hydro Electric Co.’s Maine Winter Expo, headlined “Weathering the Storm.”

Held Wednesday at the Spectacular Event Center, the expo was designed for the residential and small-business markets, company spokeswoman Susan Faloon said. She projected that by the day’s end, 200 to 300 people would stop by for the expo, followed by a reception featuring Gov. John Baldacci.

During the expo, Mainers got to learn more about how to prepare their homes and families for winter safety and about new products and programs designed to help them stay energy-efficient.

Among those who turned up were Charlene Whalen and her fiance, Robert Ring, both of Corinth.

“We came, actually, looking for help for my mother,” Whalen said, adding that her mother is 83, lives alone and is trying to get by on a fixed income.

“And she’s from the old school – she won’t ask for help,” Ring added.

Two resources the couple tapped were a weatherization program for low-income Mainers and a special electricity rate for customers who are on oxygen.

One product they could not find was a device to help frail elderly people keep their pellet stoves filled. Whalen’s mother recently had such a stove installed but cannot lift the 40-pound bags.

“She’s filling it a cup at a time,” Ring said.

Jamie Marthea, 11, of Kenduskeag came to the event with his mother. Among the things he liked about the expo were opportunities to learn about how to save energy and how electricity works.

“I just like learning,” said Jamie, who wants to be a scientist when he grows up. He was especially intrigued by Bangor Hydro Safety Officer John Greaves’ display about the hazards posed by a downed power line using models of buildings, transmission lines, and utility poles with mini transformers. It showed how a downed line can electrify nearby vehicles and electrocute people.

Bangor Hydro President Robert Harf said he decided to organize the expo after learning that there were resources that aren’t being tapped because people aren’t aware they exist.

“I think it’s clear that this is going to be a challenging year, and as a utility, we have a duty and a responsibility to provide ideas, solutions, by bringing together people and resources,” he said. “Maine winters are cold, and all of our neighbors are our customers. We’re all connected, pardon the pun.”

Pleased by the public’s response to the expo, he plans to repeat it next year with longer hours and more presenters.