States rush to protect the poor from high heating bills

[highplainsdem]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/10/12/states.heating.ap.ap/


States rush to protect the poor from high heating bills

Wednesday, October 12, 2005; Posted: 9:29 p.m. EDT (01:29 GMT)



CLEVELAND, Ohio (AP) -- With fuel bills expected to rise sharply this winter, states are setting aside extra money for the poor, dispensing energy-conservation tips and pleading for federal aid to help Americans keep the heat on when the weather turns cold.

Ohio freed up an additional $75 million for heating assistance for the needy, and Wisconsin added $16 million. Iowa officials set up a Web site to give people advice on how to save energy and get aid, but they acknowledged that may not be enough.

People "can only turn the thermostat so low before it affects your health and well-being," said Jerry McKim, chief of Iowa's Bureau of Energy Assistance, which helps poor families pay their utility bills. "This is a life-or-death matter. I have serious anxiety about what folks will face this winter."

On Wednesday, the Energy Department predicted winter heating bills will be a third to a half higher than last year for most families across the country -- an average of $350 more for natural gas users and $378 more for fuel oil users.

<snip>

[neuvocat]

1. Oh, NOW THEY CARE HUH?!?!??!!

Give me a break. They don't give a crap. Remember those Enron recordings where the guy said that he was going to rip off poor old grandma jokingly?

[raccoon]

17. That guy should be strung up by the cojones. nt

[cassiepriam]

18. How about me? I am gonna be poor after this winter.

And WHY is natural gas so high this year anyway?
Does anyone know?

[mom cat]

2. I am already toughening up for the winter. Last year, I kept the house

at 55-60 (60 was for visitors). This year it will have to be more like 45 to 50. The earth cant handle the load of all of us living at 70 degrees year round anyway.

[connecticut yankee]

3. Don't let it go below 55 degrees

The pipes could freeze, and then you'll really be in big trouble!

[Nihil]

15. Eh?

55 degrees Fahrenheit is ~12 degrees Celsius.
Water freezes at 32 & 0 respectively.

What have you got in your pipes that freezes at 55?

[54anickel]

19. Happened to my sister -

Piss-poor design running water pipes along an exterior wall without proper insulation. Had her heat turned down to lowest setting (55?) while away on vacation. Came home to a nightmare.

[mom cat]

21. Good insulation costs less than heating oil or gas. It is better on the

earth to insulate than to burn more carbon. We have to start cutting down...The other planet is not ready yet.

[CountAllVotes]

4. some people have medical conditions

And they must use a certain amount of energy in order to keep from getting very ill. This includes the use and need for specific types of medical equipment that require the use of extra energy.

I'll tell you, many people will get violently ill because they won't be able to pay their power bills soon. I personally won't be heavily affected being I live in a small house that is heavily insulated and the bill tends to be low. Last winter the highest it got was about $55 for one month if I remember right.

However, I truly fear for those that must rely on energy for health reasons. There are only a few conditions that qualify for the extra therms at the baseline rate sadly. I find this disgusting.

I commend you for being able to tolerate living in such a cold residence like that.

:kick:

[mom cat]

20. I build up to it each year. It is a trick that I learned from a native of

Sweden. Each year, when it starts to get cooler, I keep wearing my summer clothes as long as I can stand it. It was 52 today when I went to town in my shorts and a short sleeved shirt. I really felt fine. By the time it gets to about 40, I go for the longer sleeves.
By the time it is really cold, I put on a light jacket. I save the heavy stuff for below 15. It works like a charm...and I am comfortable. In the summer, I do the reverse and keep wearing warm clothes till is getting on the hot side.
Living at 70 degrees year round is a myth that we were sold by the fuel industry..a myth that is killing the planet.
As for the pipes, Mine are well insulated. Really good insulation costs a lot less than heating oil or gas.
Not everyone's health can handle this, but you might be supprised what your body can do.

[Marthe48]

5. keep an eye on your neighbors this winter

Offer to assist people in signing up for heat programs and weatherizing their homes. Lowes is offering how-tos.
In Ohio, we can sign up with who we want as a supplier, and we are locked into a rate from previous March. This is our 3rd yr. in this program. I kind of feel that what we save in per unit price, we pay out in transmission fees, but we'll see. In the meantime, I tell people that this choice is available. We use Interstate Gas Supply, it has a web site which I don't have handy. You can google them.

[madrchsod]

6. applying for mine nov 1

6 dollars an hour don`t cut it-short term disability..60% of my pay.

[Trajan]

7. The GOP 'Big Plan' ....

> Kill taxes for the rich, allowing them to use the wonderful basis of freedom and security formed by the US Constitution to generate immense profits under the protection of a safe civic environment, without having to pay one single dime for it ....

Infrastructure developed for citizens and commerce alike ? .... SORRY: YOU pay for it: WE will use it for free ...

Talk about a free ride ... WHO is the leech in this play ? ...

> Give the middle class a weak tax cut to seduce them into the big lie ... Pretending they are 'free of oppressive, overbearing government' by reducing regulations meant to protect citizens from the injurious activities of business ... The trade-off is a HUGE loss for the common man ....

> Reduce government's role in the public commons, killing or severely reducing popular government services, while turning over remaining services to privateers who gave generously to GOP campaign chests, and provide LESS service by far than comparable government departments ...

> Allow Privateers to RAPE the public by charging outrageously exorbitant fees for basic needs, like heating and transportation fuel ... Enron ? .... Shell ? ... Texaco ? ..... Birds of a feather they are: and the GOP government will stand by and not lift a finger to stop it .... WHY would they stop what they want to happen ? ...

> Allow friends and campaign supporters to siphon OUR national treasure by 1) Starting an unnecessary war ... 2) Distributing war monies directly to GOP Associates who make super-high profits while delivering miniscule services, if at all .... 3) Allowing a sizable percentage of those monies to disappear completely into the black hole of graft, greed and avarice .... That money is lost forever ....

ALL of the BILLIONS of dollars lost ... could have paid for health care, for college educations, for job training, for development of renewable energy sources ......

The GOP 'Big Plan' you can call it the 'Contract ON America') ... is nothing more than a scheme to enrich themselves and their cohorts from the collective resources of the nation and directly from citizens through price gouging ......

They are succeeding with great haste and effectiveness ....

They care nothing for the dignity of their own fellow citizens; for the standard of living of the greater part of society ...

The 'Ownership Society' doesnt mean that everyone owns a stake in civic life and their nation, it means the GOP and their corporate friends OWN society ....

It has always been that way for them ... It has ALWAYS been them against us ....

[CountAllVotes]

10. sell the American people shitty gasoline!

The gasoline they are selling around here is giving about 20% LESS mpg! I just called the dealer that sold me my car and they said all cars are being affected. The gasoline they are selling is CRAP apparently and now, just when we *thought* the price was going down, it has in fact gone up even more! Add another 20% to that $3.00 a gallon. Now we are paying almost $3.60 or more a gallon when you figure out the mileage you are getting!

GOD DAMN THESE MOTHER FUCKERS! GREEDY BASTARDS! ALL OF THEM!

:kick:

[durablend]

13. Gov't giveaways to ADM?

How's their stock doing lately? Sounds like they's doin good with that ethanol stuff!

[SpiralHawk]

8. Short term solution throwing money to BushCo Oil Republican Gougers

the tax money for these bail outs passes right through the hands of the elderly and poor and into the Bulging Republican Oil Coffers.

Go alternative. Today. What are you waiting for?

Not a penny more for the robber BushCo-Republican Oil Barons

[The Straight Story]

9. One of my engineers heats his house with corn

that he grows on his mini-farm. Would that we all could be so self-sufficient and instead of pretty lawns grew things we could use instead of show off (but then, home owners associations would be pissed off).

Now OBVIOUSLY not all can do this - but if many more did demand would go down and hence the price.

We live lives centered around others meeting our needs, self reliance is slipping away quickly.

[Porcupine]

12. Burning food to keep a mcmansion warm in winter.....

yah, they hate us for our freedom all right.

If I wanted to make something up to make people hate you I couldn't think of anything better than that. Hey look!! While we freeze our buts off and beg for food the americans are burning feed corn to keep their houses at 75 degrees.

Nobody could possibly make this up if they tried.

[The Straight Story]

16. go here

http://www.dulley.com/docs/f418.htm

[mom cat]

23. This is a great site. I just checked out some of the other ideas there.

Good for an ailing planet.

[mom cat]

22. That is so smart. I am working to convert my postage stamp sized yard

into a garden and make my house as earth friendly as possible.
If you arrange your front yard vegetables attractively, the neighbors won't be as angry. I do not have one blade of grass.I am gently easing in more vegies.

[meow2u3]

11. A better way of conserving gas LOL

[MADem]

14. Help for the poor is fine, but the struggling middle class types will

be living poor if we have a rough winter...