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For Immediate Release
Office of Media Affairs
January 24, 2003

President Boosts Emergency Heating Assistance

WASHINGTON, DC -- President Bush today directed HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson to release an additional $200 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) emergency funds for states, territories and tribes due to continuing increases in home heating fuel prices this winter.  In addition, these funds should enable those states that have been seriously affected by the significantly rising costs of home heating oil to provide substantially more assistance to more eligible households.

“These funds will help keep our fellow citizens warm in a time of great need and bitter cold,” President Bush said today.  “This program is an important source of support for millions of low-income families across the nation.”

Residential heating oil prices this heating season are predicted by the Energy Information Administration to be more than 20% higher than the average of the last five years. 

Today=s $200 million release uses two-thirds of the contingency funds available from prior years.  The remaining $100 million in these contingency funds will be reserved for future energy emergencies, such as unusually severe weather or high home energy prices. 

LIHEAP helps eligible families pay the costs of heating and insulating their homes in the winter, and cooling their homes in the summer.  Approximately 4.6 million low-income households receive assistance each year. 

The state allocations follow.  These allocations reflect the fact that some states have been more significantly affected by increased fuel prices than others in recent weeks.  These totals include funds that will be provided directly to tribes in these states.

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

FY 2003 State Contingency Allotments