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Older New Yorkers Will Be Hit Hard By High Energy Costs This Winter; Statement By Lois Aronstein, AARP New York State Director

Posted on: Monday, 19 September 2005, 15:00 CDT

ALBANY, N.Y., Sept. 19 /U.S. Newswire/ -- The following is a statement by Lois Aronstein, AARP New York State Director, on energy costs this winter:

"Skyrocketing energy prices are expected to have a dramatic impact on the cost of heating your home. Both home heating oil and natural gas prices are expected to increase by over 30 percent this winter, having a particularly harsh effect on New York's elderly living on fixed incomes.

"While older persons use about the same amount of energy as younger people, they tend to devote a higher percentage of their total spending on heating their homes. In fact, one out of every four low-income older persons spends 19 percent or more of their total income on home energy bills. High home heating costs shouldn't mean older New Yorkers on fixed incomes get left out in the cold this winter.

"New York State's Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) has helped many New Yorkers, young and old, by providing grants ranging from $40 to $400 to help pay home heating bills. However, the average household spends $2366 for natural gas and electricity and $2876 on heating oil and electricity. Clearly, more funds are needed to expand the HEAP benefit. In addition, energy efficiency and weatherization initiatives should be furthered as a long term approach to conserving energy and making home heating more affordable year after year.

"AARP commends the leadership of Governor George Pataki, Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno and Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver for holding hearings and proposing new ways to help older persons cope with escalating heating costs. AARP will strongly support and advocate for the passage of those proposals that include:

-- supplementing the HEAP program with state dollars to expand the existing benefit to more people;

-- creating tax incentives to make home heating more affordable and credits for energy efficiency including cleaning and tuning furnaces;

-- coordinating HEAP enrollment with other income-based programs serving older persons such as EPIC;

-- establishing a new "energy crisis prevention program" so moderate to middle income households ineligible for HEAP benefits will not be faced with unmanageable heating bills, termination notices or have to forgo repairs on their home heating equipment;

-- require public utilities and private energy service companies to offer re-negotiated deferred payment agreements during cold weather periods to any HEAP-eligible customer who has exhausted available assistance under HEAP and other energy assistance programs.

"AARP strongly believes that that these proposals will go a long way in helping not only older persons but all those on fixed incomes cope with high energy prices this winter and in the future."

http://www.usnewswire.com

Source: U.S. Newswire

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