Senator Chris Dodd (D-CT) released the following statement today on the recent news that the number of Connecticut households applying for home heating assistance has more than tripled as compared with this time last year.  Last winter, more than 86,000 households in Connecticut received assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a number which is expected to increase dramatically before the season is over.

“This drastic increase in the number of Connecticut homes applying for heating aid is disturbing and a stunning example of why our country needs a new energy policy. While I’m pleased that we were able to secure significant additional funding for LIHEAP last week, we must not lose sight of the fact that more and more families in Connecticut and across the country are struggling to keep up with rising energy prices. The additional LIHEAP funds will go a long way toward helping the hundreds of thousands of low income families fighting to stay warm throughout the winter, but this is only a short term fix.  To find a lasting solution to this crisis, we must break our country’s addiction to foreign oil and adopt a comprehensive energy policy that invests in energy efficiency and alternative domestic energy sources such as wind, solar, fuel cells, and advanced biofuels.”

Last month, the Senate passed legislation that will provide $5.1 billion for LIHEAP, including more than $95.52 million for low-income families in Connecticut. 

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