Winter is coming quickly to New York, and so is another financial crisis that may not make the headlines but will affect millions of families.

According to the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), the statewide average spot price of home heating oil has jumped nearly 25 percent from this time last year.

The north country, where so many families depend on home heating oil, has been particularly hard hit. This summer prices soared well past $4 a gallon. The latest U.S. Energy Information Administration forecast is that heating oil expenditures will rise to nearly $2,500 per family this winter in the Northeast. That's a $500 increase over last winter, and a $1,300 increase over the average heating expenditures in the Northeast from 2002-2007.

That's money that can't be saved for college or retirement, or used to buy groceries, clothes, or school supplies. That's money that can't go toward the mortgage or medical bills, and it's money that families just don't have, given rising gas prices, health care costs, grocery bills, and wages that haven't budged in years.

We have already taken some important steps to help New Yorkers weather this winter.

The Congress recently passed legislation, with our strong support, to fully fund the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which helps those most vulnerable to rising home heating oil prices, including lower-income families and seniors. Last year over 55,000 households in the 23rd Congressional District received LIHEAP assistance. Both of us have long called for greater funding for this important program, and we were proud to help secure more than $538 million for low-income families in New York for the coming winter, an increase of almost $200 million over last year's levels and significantly more than any other state in the country.

We are also doubling funding for home energy efficiency. The highly successful Department of Energy "weatherization" program not only reduces home heating bills by a third, but creates jobs too. New York will receive $45 million to weatherize low-income homes. Over time, weatherization pays for itself — this is a good investment for our economy and our environment.

We're proud of these steps forward, which will help low-income families meet the challenge of heating their homes this winter. But we also know that fuel prices are rising so fast that many middle-class families are feeling the squeeze too. We've heard from many of these families — and in the Congress we've taken up their cause.

We are proposing a refundable tax credit for middle-class homeowners and renters to help defray the rising cost of home heating. The Home Energy Affordability Tax Relief (HEATR) Act will provide a $500 refundable tax credit for individuals and families who spend more than $1,500 on home heating costs during the coming winter season. Those who spend below $1,500 would receive a credit equal to one-third of their heating costs. That's more money that individuals and families can use to pay for necessities other than home heating.

New Yorkers facing the oncoming winter need immediate relief from rising prices. But we also need to look beyond this winter and the next utility bill. We need to think bigger and smarter. We need to chart a new energy future that will break our dependence on foreign oil and reduce global warming pollution, while creating millions of new green-collar jobs and helping to prevent the price spikes and volatility that have affected so many New York families. Here in the 23rd District, we are pioneering that future with examples such as biofuel projects at Clarkson University, hydroelectric power in St. Lawrence County, ethanol in Oswego County, and wind farms in Lewis and Madison counties.

Together, we are helping New York families confront an energy crisis — and helping our nation confront one as well.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, a Democrat and former first lady, represents New York in the U.S. Senate. John M. McHugh, R-Pierrepont Manor, represents New York's 23rd Congressional District.

This column appeared in the Watertown Daily Times.

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