WASHINGTON, DC – As the major oil companies continue to report record profits, Congressman Bill Delahunt once again urged them to provide low cost heating oil assistance for families in the Northeast during the upcoming 2008-2009 winter season.

“The rising cost of home heating oil has placed an enormous financial burden on consumers all throughout the Northeast,” said Delahunt. “With families unable to absorb the rising costs of energy, I have once again asked the five major US oil companies to allocate a small portion of their record profits by donating just one tanker’s worth of oil to help vulnerable families this winter.”

In 2005, Delahunt helped convince the CITGO Petroleum Corporation to provide discount home heating oil for low-income Massachusetts households. The program has been largely successful and has provided millions of gallons of heating oil to thousands of families in the Commonwealth and 15 other states throughout the Northeast.  Today, the program provides fuel assistance to over 180,000 households, 250 shelters and 37 Native American tribes.

Each year, Delahunt has asked Exxon Mobil, BP America, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, and Shell to follow CITGO’s lead and participate in a similar program.   To date, this appeal has received no support.

Delahunt renewed the call in the wake of testimony by the Chief Executives of the five major oil companies yesterday before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, which found that they continue to receive billions of dollars in tax breaks even after posting profits of $123 billion last year. It is estimated that only 16.1% of those who are eligible for home heating assistance under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) actually receive that help. Fully funding the program would cost $5.1 billion.

To read Delahunt’s letter to Exxon Mobil, please click here.

To read Delahunt’s letter to BP America, please click here.

To read Delahunt’s letter to Chevron, please click here.

To read Delahunt’s letter to ConocoPhillips, please click here.

To read Delahunt’s letter to Shell, please click here.

To find out more about the CITGO discount home heating oil, program, please click here.

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