Dear Governor Rendell,
I
have recently learned that the state does not plan to spend the
remaining available funds for LIHEAP after the closing date on April
28, 2006. On behalf of 1,200 households and small businesses in
Southeastern Pennsylvania that use oil to heat their properties, over
40% of which are low-income, LIHEAP-eligible households, I want to
express our deepest concern.
While
the energy crisis worsens and hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians
continue to struggle to catch up on heating bills from this past
winter, not spending available assistance funds would be
counterproductive and sends a terrible message to the low-income
community.
As
an energy advocate, I was part of a coalition that fought hard to get
Pennsylvania to add state funds to the LIHEAP program as all of our
neighboring states do. Every dollar that is disbursed through LIHEAP is
sorely needed.
• We are not reaching all of those that need assistance. Only 30% of
welfare recipients in PA have even submitted applications for LIHEAP.
• The average LIHEAP cash grant has barely changed from $237 for almost
a decade, while energy prices have risen over 100% for many.
• Since February 2006, PGW alone has sent out about 45,000 termination
notices to its customers. Since the shut-off moratorium for the poorest
households ended on April 1st, many more households will face
termination and need additional assistance.
While
it is no longer cold in the commonwealth, many families are still far
behind on their utility bills. 2005 saw record numbers of utility
shut-offs, reaching 245,885 households. Many of these households were
shut off in the spring and summer months, and still had no utility
service going into the winter.
There are many ways the additional LIHEAP dollars could be used at this point in the year:
• Raise the level of this year’s Cash Grant allocation. $237 will only be
a fraction of total utility costs for most households this year, and
any additional dollars will help households recover.
• Target
public assistance households, who are already in our records as
qualifying for LIHEAP to enroll them and increase their grants.
• Add more resources to the weatherization program to help households
conserve energy year-round and repair furnace and heating systems now
for next winter.
• Give out funds for summer cooling as well. Summer heat waves and
hyperthermia are just as deadly as winter cold and hypothermia, if not
more for seniors.
Low-income
households in Pennsylvania are not without need of assistance simply
because the weather has warmed up. We should use every dollar at our
disposal to make sure that our citizens can pay their utility bills and
don’t have to go without other necessities like prescription drugs or
food.
We
strongly urge you to reverse your position and spend the remaining
LIHEAP dollars now. I can be reached at 215-893-3835 if necessary.
Sincerely,
Emily Schiller
Director
