Although the price of gasoline has been in the news lately, Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., says, "You ain't seen nothing yet" when it comes to home-heating oil.
He spoke during a Wednesday telephone news conference about legislation he is co-sponsoring in the Senate that would provide an additional $2.53 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This would supplement the $2.57 billion already available.
The New York Energy Research and Development Agency estimates that with the cost of heating oil expected to rise about $2 this year, residents of Chenango, Delaware and Otsego counties could be paying an average of $1,264 more this heating season.
A couple of people familiar with HEAP, the state program that provides direct aid to low-income families and the elderly to cover high home-heating bills, said the extra money is needed.
To be eligible for the program, the household income for a family of four must be no more than $41,616, according to the NYSERSDA website. To be eligible for emergency assistance, for such issues as energy shutoff, the family of four income limit is $55,488.
Acting Otsego County Social Services Commissioner Joyce Boyd said she was concerned about those people who qualify but also about those struggling with paying more at the pump to get to work.
Neither group will have as much to spend on heating oil, she said, and "I'm sure there will be a problem."
Cindy Lane, principal welfare examiner for the department, said there were 3,468 households last year provided with a one-time HEAP payment of as much as $540. There were 1,742 that received emergency benefits.
People 60 and older can apply at the county Office for the Aging. Those who are younger can apply at Opportunities For Otsego. Anyone who receives food stamps or public assistance will have applications automatically made for the program.
OFO Executive Director Dan Maskin said his agency served about 1,400 during the heating season, which typically runs mid-November until April, but it can be extended.
"The funding is critical," said Delaware Opportunities Executive Director John Eberhard. "The amount of money provided last year was not adequate to meet the needs, and prices have risen since then."
There were about 2,000 households that received assistance last year, he said. Typically all those eligible for the program do not apply, but with people already dealing with higher gas prices, this year could be different.
David Harder, president of Reinhardt Home Heating in West Oneonta, said the price of oil is already 20 cents above the state estimate.
"It's hard to predict for the season," he said. "We're hoping it will go down."
Oil users "struggled" last year with the prices, he said. If the price stays high, "we don't know what they will do."
There are quite a few households that receive government support, which pays the company directly.
The customer can lock in a price now, which on Wednesday was $4.79 a gallon, Harder said. But if the market goes down, "they will be stuck."
Schumer said the bill has the support of a bipartisan group of senators and may be voted on this week or early next.
He said, "The last thing we need right now is for this country's energy crisis to creep any further into the homes of upstate New York residents."
