Upcoming Public Hearing on Heating Assistance
The cost of heating a home in Connecticut has skyrocketed in the past two years. As of Aug. 15, 2022 the average price per gallon for home heating oil in the state was $4.57. A year ago, that average was $2.74. In 2020, the average was $2.02.
In two years, the cost has more than doubled. Republicans had proposed using the state’s significant surpluses, which are in the billions, to expand the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, in order to help more people who were in need with home heating. But that plan fell on deaf ears.
Federal dollars are used for the program, but that funding is expected to be reduced at a time when demand for the program is growing. A recent analysis of Governor Lamont’s allocation plan for the upcoming year shows funding will be 3% lower than fiscal 2019, while the projected caseload will be 18.5% higher. Now, we may be facing a crisis as our friends and neighbors struggle to keep their homes warm this winter.
On Monday, Aug. 29 at 10 a.m., a Joint Public Hearing of the Appropriations, Human Services and Energy and Technology committees will take place. For anyone who has used the program, or who is dealing with these high costs, this hearing is an opportunity to have your voice heard. You can submit written testimony ahead of the hearing and can speak via Zoom.
Testify by Zoom: Click here to testify. The deadline is this Friday, Aug. 26 at 3 p.m. Speaker order will be posted here on the Appropriations Committee website by 5 p.m. the same day.
Submit written testimony: Email a Word or PDF document to APPTestimony@cga.ct.gov; ETTestimony@cga.ct.gov; HSTestimony@cga.ct.gov.
If you do not have internet access, you may provide testimony via telephone. To register to testify by phone, call the Phone Registrant Line at 860-240-0033 to leave your contact information.
You can watch the hearing via CT-N or YouTube Live