this winter's heating bills to be killers - EMERGENCY

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2008/08/13/10965/


A Frozen Katrina

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According to the New York Times, heating oil prices are now 36 percent higher than they were last winter and bills will be up to $1500 higher than they were last year. As for the 54 million households heating with natural gas, prices are expected to be 67 percent higher this winter. Current funding for the Low Income Heating Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is below 1980’s levels–”a time when fuel prices were just a tiny fraction of what they are now,” The Timberjay newspapers point out. In fact, last year’s $2.5 billion in LIHEAP funding allowed just 16 percent of eligible recipients to receive aid. Congressional representatives of New England states have sought as much as $6.5 billion in additional LIHEAP funding to meet the anticipated needs of the upcoming winter. With both lower-income and middle-class people now unable to afford this basic necessity–a requirement for security in one’s own home–newspapers in the Northeast are sounding a clarion call to head-off the impending disaster.

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“It could be New England’s own Katrina disaster,” read a Stowe Reporter editorial. “Hundreds of homes rendered uninhabitable, families’ finances stretched to the limit, some driven away altogether to take shelter with friends or family. But unlike Katrina, this calamity is clearly visible on the horizon and we have months to prepare.”

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No one wants to see refugees from the cold breaking into stores or second homes to spend the night, but there will be desperate people that the state’s social service providers will be challenged to help, since most homeless shelters are full at present and may not be able to house any more people in upcoming months.

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It will be interesting to see if the prospect of masses of New Hampshire citizens freezing at home gets the attention it so clearly deserves.

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“People in the north understand that it would be inhumane to stand by while seniors freeze to death this winter or kids get sick,” he said “People in hot-weather states know heat waves can be killers.” In a floor speech, Sanders cited Center for Disease Control statistics to further illustrate the urgency of this legislation:

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“I understand the games that are played in Washington, but it doesn’t make the obstruction tactics any less revolting,” Sanders said following the vote. “This is life or death. People are dying in the summer heat. People will freeze to death this winter.”

While Republicans continue to push drilling as their election year elixir, real pain, real lives, and real security are ignored.
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the men in charge are busy trying to outwit Russia over pipelines. next winter is not on their minds.

thus, take charge and do what you have to.

...designed to help low-income earners with heating bills--was squashed by Bush last year.

Everyone remember that?

Just one more squeeze on the people who aren't in the top 5 percent.

In addition, all-ready outrageous grocery prices are supposed to rise further.

How in the world are people supposed to live?

I live in the suburbs, and stuff like this is affecting middle and upper-middle-class people
as well. The confluence of rising food, gas and home-heating prices equals hundreds of
dollars a month for most people.

All of this will affect everyone. The economy is going to continue to tank further this year.

One tanker would likely handle the whole NE for one winter. Come on Hugo!

i`m sure he is going to continue this year. some groups and communities have turned down his offer......i`m sure they will reconsider this year

I have a small place

Natural gas is heat only; everything else electric

I've been giving them a little money each month, so I have over $200 as a buffer in my account


Still gonna be rough

Last year was bad. We keep our thermostat at 60, but our bills were still sky-high. I wish we had a wood stove (and some land to get firewood from).

no problem wrapping in a blanket.

is barreling down the tracks, and everybody's looking the other direction.

And looking in the other direction: all these congress-shits who want to drill offshore knowing full well it will be ten years before anything comes of it because they don't want to face their constituents and tell the truth.

in one of their last acts before vacation, filibustered the bill that contained heating oil subsidies for poor people. In fact, as I recall, the bill was Judd Gregg's, my repuke N.H. Senator, and he voted against bringing his own bill up for a vote. Why? Because they want to give big oil every square inch of U.S. soil to drill on before the crime family moves out of the White House. They will allow Americans to die to be sure big oil makes a killing.

Mission accomplished eh T.Boone?

If his plan succeeds NG prices will triple.

CT is giving rebates on purchases of high efficiency furnaces and has some fuel aid for lower income residents. They also announced that solar panel leasing is now available.

nt

IIRC this is the same program they have in CA and another SE state ( ?AZ)

Here's the CT program website www.ctsolarlease.com