News Release
For Immediate Release
March 21, 2000
 

Greenleaf Asks for Extended Aid for Fuel Crisis

Harrisburg – State Senator Stewart J. Greenleaf (R., Montgomery & Bucks) has called upon the Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare to extend the deadline from March 31 to April 30 for emergency grants under the federally funded Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

In a letter to Secretary of Welfare Feather O. Houstoun, Greenleaf stressed the hardship on lower income families during the current situation caused by the steep rise in fuel prices. The LIHEAP program offers grants to qualified families who are in danger of losing their heat because they cannot afford to pay their bill.

A one-time rebate program, called the Fuel Price Emergency Project (FPEP), was instituted this season to address the crisis by Governor Tom Ridge. However, both programs carry an application deadline of March 31.

"The weather continues to make consumption of heating fuel necessary, and more families are feeling the crunch of higher prices. Extending the deadlines through April will enable qualifying low-income families to take advantage of the funds offered," Greenleaf said.

The Senator cited testimony at a recent public hearing in Montgomery County on the crisis, where advocates for senior citizens on limited income asked for some relief from the increases, which almost doubled fuel costs in one month.

Between January 17 and February 7, the average price for residential heating oil rose from $1.10 per gallon to more than $1.81, according to the Energy Information Administration, a branch of the U.S. Department of Energy.

"Such a sudden and steep increase for a necessary commodity, coupled with our cold winter season, has placed a severe financial burden on those individuals and families who live on a limited or fixed income," Greenleaf noted.

"I am hopeful that the Department will agree with me and extend the program for one more month," he said.