Paterson grants home heat help

Citing a 30-40 percent increase in heating costs this year, Governor Paterson has announced a plan to help low-income New Yorkers keep their homes warm this winter.
The broad package of initiatives includes considerable increases in benefits and changes in eligibility levels for the state’s Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP).
Under Paterson’s plan, all eligible HEAP recipients who heat their homes with a deliverable fuel such as oil, propane or kerosene will receive a 48 percent greater benefit than last year, bringing the maximum state heating assistance up to $800. Additionally, the HEAP emergency benefit, for residents with a reduced supply of heating fuel, will increase from $700 to $800; and household income eligibility levels for the program will be maximized so that a family of four earning $45,312 a year can receive HEAP assistance.
In his new plan, which a spokesman called “a different way of looking at the [home heat] problem,” Paterson’s focus extends beyond heating fuel credits to include energy conservation. The Governor has approved an additional $49 million for household energy efficiency programs, with some $32 million in low-income heating efficiency funding earmarked for the Public Service Commission and the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). NYSERDA will spend a further $2 million to help New Yorkers reduce their energy dependence.
The plan calls on the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal and the Office for the Aging to develop procedures to guarantee that the most at-risk HEAP beneficiaries take precedence with regard to state-provided weatherization services.
“The State has an obligation to help our residents get through this winter in any way we can,” Paterson said in a statement. “While we cannot influence world energy prices in any significant way, we can reduce the amount of energy we use and effectively lower our energy bills.”
Although the comprehensive energy directive includes state agency outreach efforts, Paterson said his plan is only the “first-step” in addressing the high heating fuel costs confronting New Yorkers. He highlighted the need for legislation that would curb the home heating crisis on a long-term basis.
As part of Paterson’s new heating plan, New York residents will soon have access to a website, workshops and an NYSERDA-hosted hotline that will provide information on state-funded home energy initiatives. The governor is also calling for increased funding for home energy on the federal level.
New Yorkers receiving public assistance automatically obtain HEAP relief, while other residents need to apply. Information regarding home heat benefits can be found at www.mybenefits.ny.gov.