A press release from the office of U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar:

WASHINGTON –- U.S. Sens. Norm Coleman, R-Minn., and Amy Klobuchar, DFL-Minn., announced today that the Department of Health and Human Services has released $450 million in emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Of this funding, Minnesota will receive $19.9 million. LIHEAP helps over 5.8 million low-income families, as well as senior citizens and disabled people pay for home heating and insulation in winter and cooling their homes in the warmer months.

“Families across our state continue to struggle with the meteoric rise in home heating costs,” said Klobuchar. “Even with this additional help, we must continue to push for adequate funding to help Minnesotans keep warm in subzero winter temperatures. Releasing this funding early in the year will help lessen the financial burden on our hard working families.”

“The ability for Minnesotans to heat their family’s home is a basic necessity when trying to endure the harsh "Midwest winter,” said Coleman. “Sky-rocketing oil prices and plummeting temperatures are putting too many Minnesotans at risk of having to choose between keeping their family warm and putting food on the table. This additional funding will greatly improve the quality of life in our communities.”

Minnesota senators successfully included $2.57 billion for LIHEAP in the fiscal year 2008 Omnibus Appropriations bill, well above the President’s proposed level of $1.782 billion. Of this funding, $250 million has been dedicated for emergency assistance to families keep pace with escalating heating bills this winter. Additionally, they introduced the Keep Americans Warm Act, which would provide an additional $1 billion in emergency funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The National Energy Directors Association (NEADA) projects that nationwide the typical household using heating oil will pay 47 percent more than fiscal year 2006, those using propane will pay 38 percent more than fiscal year 2006, those using electricity will pay 14 percent more than fiscal year 2006, and those using natural gas will pay 38 percent more than the winters of 2000-2005.

During the past four years, the number of households receiving home heating assistance increased by 26 percent. During the same period, federal support increased by only 10 percent. As a result, the average price of grants declined from $349 to $305.