Baldacci, King seek fuel money Governor suggests $1.65 billion in funding

BANGOR – Facing higher than normal fuel prices at an early point in the home heating season, Mainers are bracing for what undoubtedly will be a costly winter. The need for more federal emergency aid remained a chief concern among state officials this week.

On Tuesday, Gov. Angus King asked President Clinton to send more heating assistance money to Maine for its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

“I am urgently requesting additional LIHEAP contingency funding to ensure that our most vulnerable residents can obtain heating assistance,” King’s letter said. “The problem is real and the need is critical.” He recommended that Clinton increase core LIHEAP funding for the whole country from $1.1 billion to $1.65 billion.

Some households have already exhausted their benefits, are out of fuel and are asking for additional assistance, wrote King, who also signed a letter to that end from a coalition of northeastern state governors, according to John Ripley, the governor’s press secretary.

On Thursday, Rep. John Baldacci joined King in calling for swift action to release additional LIHEAP funds. Baldacci, whose September request for additional LIHEAP funds was granted, noted in his letter to the president that heating fuel prices remain high and the need for federal aid is still great.

“The LIHEAP program provides a safety net for our nation’s poorest and most vulnerable citizens. I strongly believe that releasing emergency LIHEAP funds now will give Maine and other northeastern states the best chance of ensuring that no household will be forced to choose between keeping their home warm and putting food on the table or filling needed prescriptions,” Baldacci wrote.

Federal LIHEAP funds are administered by the Maine State Housing Authority in Augusta, which funnels the money to the state’s 11 community action programs.

The majority of those eligible for the assistance heat their homes with oil, while fewer depend on kerosene or electricity, MSHA spokesman Dan Simpson said Thursday. The money is paid in the form of vouchers to the key provider of a family’s fuel.

According to Simpson, Maine received a total of $33 million in LIHEAP funds last winter, an amount higher than usual largely due to a severe cold snap and a spike in heating fuel costs in January. That total, he said, reflects several rounds of supplemental funding.

This season is shaping up to be another difficult one. The heating season began with high prices, he said. The current average price for heating oil in Maine is $1.56 per gallon, or 50 percent higher than the average price at this time last year. In addition, prices for kerosene, natural gas and propane also have gone up.

So far, Maine has received a total of $19 million in LIHEAP funds during the current fiscal year, a figure that includes the receipt of $5 million in emergency funding in September. Simpson said that if the president grants King’s request, Maine’s share would amount to an additional $5 million or $6 million this year.

Last year, the average benefit for higher-income Maine families who met the eligibility guidelines was nearly $500. This year, the average benefit has been about $350. If the state receives the additional allotment King has called for, the average would increase to about $400.

In addition to high fuel costs, Maine recently broadened its income guidelines for heating oil assistance to include families on the edge of the middle class. That has resulted in an increase in the number of eligible households.

As of this week, the state had received 28,000 applications for fuel assistance and had granted benefits to more than 12,000 households. In contrast, only 10,000 Mainers had applied and just over 3,000 were paid at this time last year. State officials expect to serve as many as 50,000 households this year.

In Penobscot and Piscataquis counties alone, more than 6,300 households have applied for heat assistance, according to Jennifer Giosia, division manager for client services and benefits for Penquis CAP. Many more are expected to apply before the April 30 deadline. A total of just over 7,000 applied last year.

“Applications have been heavy up front,” Giosia said. “We’ve had a lot more people applying early this year because of the high cost of fuel.”

Telephone numbers of the CAP programs in central, Down East and northern Maine are: Aroostook County Action Program, 764-3721 or (800) 432-7881; Kennebec Valley Community Action Program, 873-2122; Coastal Community Action Program, Rockland, 596-0361; Penquis Community Action Program, Bangor, 973-3500 or (888) 424-0151; Waldo County Committee for Social Action, Belfast, 338-6809 or (800) 498-3025; the Washington-Hancock Community Agency, Milbridge, 546-7544 or (800) 828-7544.

A coalition of state agencies also has developed a Web site aimed at helping Mainers make the most of their fuel dollars. The address is www.bundlemeup.org. The site offers such features as conservation tips, resources for assistance and grants and links to numerous heating, weather and safety sites.