Mills joins New England governors in call for increased federal heating assistance

Maine Gov. Janet Mills joined fellow New England governors in a joint letter Monday, asking Congress to provide an additional $3 billion in federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. 

“No one should be cold in their homes because Trump decided to wage an unnecessary, unwanted war with Iran,” Mills, a Democrat, said in a statement. “That’s why I’m joining my fellow New England governors to call on Congress to release billions in federal funding for LIHEAP to provide immediate relief for vulnerable families as winter approaches.”

Energy costs have soared this fall as the war in Iran restricts the flow of diesel and crude oil onto global markets at the same time Russia has implemented an export ban on diesel after Ukrainian attacks on refineries. 

The surge in prices has been acutely felt in Maine, where roughly half of households use oil as their primary heating source. That number is down from 70% of households in 2010, according to the Maine Department of Energy Resources. 

Maine is already set to receive more than $36 million through LIHEAP, according to a release from U.S. Sen. Susan Collins’ office last month. The October release of funds is one of the earliest in the program’s history, after last year’s funding was delayed until December because of the government shutdown. 

In the letter, the governors note that the National Energy Assistance Directors Association estimates that heating oil costs will be 50% higher than last winter. 

“At current funding levels, rising energy prices will erode the purchasing power of LIHEAP assistance, forcing states to reduce benefits or serve fewer eligible households when the need is greatest,” the letter states. “While our states are working to mitigate the immediate impact of rising energy costs on vulnerable households and continue to invest heavily in energy efficiency, weatherization and other long-term solutions, these efforts cannot fully offset the immediate financial pressures facing families this winter.”

The average cost of heating oil in Maine has set new record highs several times this fall. According to the Maine Department of Energy Resources, the average cost of a gallon of heating oil Nov. 2 was $6.01, down slightly from the most recent peak of $6.05 set Oct. 26. 

There have been efforts to bring down prices: the Group of Seven European nations announced last month it will release 50 million barrels of diesel and 50 million barrels of crude oil over several months and the U.S. Department of Energy said it will release 315,000 barrels of heating oil from the Northeast Home Heating Oil Reserve.