(Washington, DC) - Rep. Gary L. Ackerman (D-Queens/L.I.) today called for increased funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides critically important assistance to low income families and seniors, in this year’s Congressional spending bill.  In a letter to Speaker Pelosi, Minority Leader Boehner, Appropriations Committee Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Lewis, Ackerman requested $5.1 billion in emergency funds to help Americans in need to pay for heat this winter.

“People should not have to choose between feeding their children or taking their life-saving prescription medicine and heating their homes.  As energy costs skyrocket and more families are falling behind on their bills, we need to ensure that no one in this country freezes this winter because they can’t afford their energy bill when we could have helped,” said Ackerman.  

Heating oil prices are projected to exceed $4.60 per-gallon this winter, raising the cost of heating a home to as much as $4,000. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) estimates that more than 15.6 million households could face utility shutoffs in the coming months because they can not pay their energy bill.  Low-income households often carry a disproportionately higher energy burden than most Americans, spending up to 17 percent of their income on home energy bills.  Last year, LIHEAP provided over 900,000 households in New York with  assistance for their energy bills.
 

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