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Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding at $5.1 billion
Filed under: Natural Gas, energy, people, winter heating
Good news on the LIHEAP front. Chairman Obey and the U.S. House of Representatives provided $5.1 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The funds, included within the fiscal year 2010 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Act will provide critical dollars to low-income Americans struggling to heat and cool their homes.
A great video on LIHEAP.
Vivian Lausevic, our LIHEAP guru, sent an email with more good news yesterday saying the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee completed mark-up of the FY 2010 bill also providing full funding – $5.1 billion – for LIHEAP next year. The full committee is set to vote on the bill Thursday (tomorrow).
When we did LIHEAP Action Day back in February, there was real concern that this funding would drop. I’m glad to see it hasn’t. With the way the economy is, these funds will be critical in helping to keep many American families warm this winter.
Dave sums it up nicely when he says, “When the weather turns cold, families who are already struggling to make ends meet must struggle even harder or risk the ravages of living with little or no heat. With adequate funding, Congress can ease this situation and ensure these families stay on their feet financially, rather than fall into a dangerous downward spiral along with winter temperatures.”
LIHEAP is something that’s easy to get behind and the natural gas utilities do. Natural gas utilities provide more than $1.7 billion annually in program assistance to needy families.
Visit aga.org to read the full press release commending Chairman Obey and the U.S. House of Representatives.
Utility companies join together to help thaw the ice
I live in a rural area in Southern Maryland. I mean, it’s not really country anymore, but it’s not the suburbs either. Why that’s important to this particular conversation is that you need to understand that I really need my power. I know, everybody needs their power, but I REALLY need mine. You see, I have a well, so if the power goes out that puts a real damper on my water supply. Water … kind of important.
A few years ago, my community was hit hard by Hurricane Isabel. Some people were without power for more than a week. Horrible. Imagine being without water for a week. At least it was warm out so people weren’t freezing. We’re not always that lucky.
So that’s why whenever I read stories like this one about people losing their power in the recent ice storm, I totally empathize. But what caught my eye about this story was:
“Crews from Canada and as far away as Virginia and Michigan were assisting in restoring power lines.”
My background is in communications and marketing with a slant towards the Web. I just came on board at AGA a few months ago so I’m in total learn mode. I had heard about the “assisting in restoring power lines” concept before but had never really given it much thought.
As I asked about this news around the office, I was told, “this happens all the time.” Really? “Yes, this is a common practice in the utility world.”
While it may be common practice, I still think this is a big deal. . People pulling together in times of crisis to help others IS always a big deal and doesn’t happen often enough today, IMHO.
I’m working now to figure out which of our members are involved in this initiative, because we always want to promote our members J, but if you know of a utility in your area that has dispatched help, let us know in the comments below. Stories like these, and the one we have to tell about Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), are the ones we need people to know about. It’s important.
The Cold Hard Facts About Your Monthly Gas Bill
It’s January, which means we are in what the natural gas industry calls the “Winter Heating Season.” Most natural gas customers call it the “I Can’t Believe My Monthly Gas Bill Season!” Winter is when the thermostats go up, which means the amount of natural gas being used goes up, which means the monthly bill goes up.
“But wait!” you say. “I read that the price of energy, including natural gas, has been dropping like a stone. Won’t that make my monthly bill cheaper?”
The cold hard fact is: Your monthly natural gas bill may well be less than original forecasts, but probably not less than last year.
Here is why. Much of the natural gas that customers will use this winter was actually purchased and put in storage this past summer when natural gas prices were higher than they are today. Buying natural gas “off-season” – in the summer – is a long-standing tradition that is approved by those who regulate the natural gas industry.
So why buy gas off-season?
True Blue Natural Gas Blog from the American Gas Association (AGA)- Sen. Murkowski, Energy Leaders Point to Natural Gas as Large Piece of the Climate Change Puzzle
- Diversification of natural gas supply is an essential consumer protection
- From Austin to Boston in a natural gas vehicle
- Natural gas, how about zero carbon emissions
- The real natural gas message in a climate crunch
- Let’s work together to protect our seniors
- Natural Gas Market Indicators
- Coming Down To Earth on a ‘Clean Energy’ Standard?
- The convenience of the natural gas fireplace
- Coming Down To Earth, A Winning Strategy For Renewables
