Plunging Temperatures Will Have an Effect on Heating Aid
Friday, December 29th, 2017 -- 9:05 AM
(AP) -Plunging temperatures across half the country on Thursday underscored a stark reality for low-income Americans who rely on heating aid: Their dollars aren't going to go as far this winter because of rising energy costs.Even before the cold snap, the Department of Energy projected that heating costs were going to track upward this winter, and many people are keeping a wary eye on their fuel tanks to ensure they don't run out. Prolonged, dangerous cold weather this week has sent advocates for the homeless scrambling to get people off the streets and to bring in extra beds for them. In western New York and Erie, Pennsylvania, residents were still cleaning up from massive snowfall. Frozen pipes and dead car batteries added to the misery across the region.
There was some good news for recipients of federal aid from the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. President Donald Trump released nearly $3 billion, or 90 percent, of the funding in October after previously trying to eliminate the program altogether.
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