Congressmen call for increased heating assistance

July 16, 2008 05:24 PM Email| Comments (0)| Text size – +

By Christopher Baxter, Globe Correspondent

The sky may be blue and the temperature in the 80s, but the harsh, cold winter ahead is on the minds of a group of New England lawmakers. Concerned by skyrocketing energy costs, they want a major increase in government assistance for low-income people facing high heating oil bills.

In a letter sent today to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the 21 Congressmen requested as much as $9 billion in aid, along with expanded eligibility requirements, for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. Congress approved about $2.6 billion in home heating help last year.

"All of this is going to absolutely be needed for this winter," said US Representative Ed Markey. "I think as each day goes by and people realize what a catastrophe this winter is going to be for low-income families, it increases the likelihood that we can get a much larger number of dollars than we ever have in history."

The lawmakers also called for at least $1 billion in funding for the Weatherization Assistance Program, meant to help homeowners better insulate their homes and save money.

Home heating oil is expected to cost as much as $5 per gallon this winter, or about $1,400 per tank, said Robert M. Coard, president and chief executive officer of Action for Boston Community Development Inc. Without the additional money, the poorest families will receive $503 in aid this year, Coard said, down from $1,165 last winter.

"Many of them have fixed incomes, or incomes that rise very slowly and very slightly," Coard said. "The only way to help them out is by increasing the amount of money they get as a subsidy for heat, and particularly oil."

Last week, four New England governors asked the federal government to increase the region's home heating assistance to $1 billion, from $252 million last winter. Massachusetts received $115 million of that aid last winter and contributed another $15 million of its own. The state currently expects $80 million in aid this winter.

Christopher Baxter can be reached at cbaxter@globe.com