(Washington, DC) - In a letter to President Bush today, Congressman Gary L. Ackerman (Queens/L.I.) urged the administration to release funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) contingency fund.  These funds are essential to seniors and low-income families who face hot summers and cold winters with near record-high energy prices.

“No family in our nation should be forced to choose between paying a home energy bill and putting food on the table.   No senior citizen should have to decide between buying life-saving prescriptions and paying utility bills.  Releasing LIHEAP contingency funds will make a real difference in these households,” said Ackerman.

The average cost for home energy has risen 56 percent over the last five years, and  U.S. residential electricity prices are expected to increase at a rate of 3 percent during 2007.  In some instances costumers may see rate increases of up to 50 percent.  Low-income families often carry a higher energy burden than most Americans, spending up to 17 percent of their income on home energy bills.  Last year, LIHEAP provided over 900,000 households in New York with much-needed assistance for their energy bills.
 

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