I had the tremendous privilege to travel around the state last January to meet with staff at Maine’s Community Action Program (CAP) agencies that allocate vital Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to constituents, as well as some of the many Mainers who receive this assistance. I’ve listened to their stories and the struggles they face during winter as they work to figure out a way to pay for skyrocketing home heating bills. Without doubt, there is an absolute imperative we in Congress do all we can to provide adequate LIHEAP funding, and I have fought to increase LIHEAP funding to at least the levels we had in Fiscal Year 2011, $4.7 billion, before the program faced drastic cuts. I hope the information below, including contact information for Maine’s LIHEAP agencies proves useful as temperatures continue to drop this winter and individuals in our state desperately require assistance heating their homes.
Senator Snowe’s Fight to Increase LIHEAP Funding
U.S. Senator Olympia J. Snowe, a longtime champion of LIHEAP since its creation in 1980, traveled across Maine last January meeting with CAP agencies and constituents receiving heating assistance. On January 12th, Senator Snowe visited Penquis in Bangor and the Kennebec Valley Community Action Program in Waterville. She visited Community Concepts in Lewiston on January 17th and the York County Community Action Corporation in Sanford on January 18th.
LIHEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income families and seniors on fixed-incomes with their energy bill. It is a unique seasonal program where if funding is not finalized before winter, millions of low income households run the risk of not receiving assistance during the coldest months.
Last year, Congress provided a total of $3.478 billion in LIHEAP funds for low-income households. According to the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association (NEADA), LIHEAP provided vital energy assistance to 8.9 million households in 2011 – an increase of 54 percent since 2008. As of November 19, 2012, Maine has received $34.9 million in funding, which represents 90 percent of the allocation the state is expected to receive this year, without further action from Congress. In September 2012, Senator Snowe and Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) secured language in a continuing resolution that provided states with LIHEAP funding at least at last year’s levels – $3.478 billion. Without the language, the program could have been reduced to as little as $2.821 billion.
Senator Snowe said:
“I have worked tirelessly throughout my entire congressional career to provide our least fortunate with basic heating assistance because I have personally heard and seen the serious challenges that a Maine winter presents to thousands of Maine households. We in Congress must continue to work to find additional funding for the program because many families and elderly are too-often confronted with the impossible choice between warmth and other necessities, like prescription-drugs. Regrettably, the LIHEAP lifeline has been disproportionately cut over the last few years, but I am encouraged that this funding will protect Mainers from the bitter cold as we approach Maine’s harsh winter months.
“Any funding for Maine released during the heart of winter will certainly help the many families who are already struggling to pay heating bills this winter. And when Congress has failed to do its job by ensuring our nation’s most vulnerable have the resources they require to heat their homes this winter, in typical Maine fashion Mainers have stepped up to the plate to raise funds on our own. From the tremendous ‘Keep ME Warm’ program and initiatives on radio and TV to small grassroots fundraisers, every dollar counts when it comes to paying heating bills.”
Home Energy and Heating Resources
While regrettably tax credits for energy efficiency have been reduced, there remains a 10 percent credit for energy efficient products such as biomass stoves, HVAC equipment, insulation, water heaters, as well as windows and doors. For details on federal energy efficiency tax creditsavailable, visit www.energystar.gov.
Additionally, information regarding state rebates for energy efficiency can be found at http://www.efficiencymaine.com/.
LIHEAP Agency Contacts
Below is a listing of Maine’s Community Action Program (CAP) agencies, which help allocate funding from the LIHEAP program to Maine families who need help heating their homes throughout the winter.
Additionally, the Maine Community Action Association’s “Keep ME Warm” program is a statewide initiative accepting donations to help raise money for individuals who may not be eligible for assistance under federal programs. You can find more information atwww.keepmewarm.org.
The following are Maine’s CAP agencies by county:
Aroostook County
Aroostook County Action Program
207-764-3721; 800-585-3053
Androscoggin and Oxford Counties
Community Concepts, Inc.
207-743-7716
Cumberland County
Peoples Regional Opportunity Program
207-874-1140; 800-698-4959
Hancock and Washington Counties
Washington-Hancock Community Agency
207-546-7544; 800-828-7544
Franklin County
Western Maine Community Action
207-645-3764; 800-645-9363
Kennebec, Lincoln, Sagadahoc, and Somerset Counties
Kennebec Valley Community Action Program
207-859-1500; 800-542-8227
Knox, Penobscot, and Piscataquis Counties
Penquis Community Action Program
207-973-3500; 800-215-4942
Waldo County
Waldo Community Action Partners
207-338-6809; 800-498-3025
York County
York County Community Action Corp.
207-324-5762; 800-965-5762