Congress shouldn't short-change home heating aid.

While homeowners are anticipating winter heating costs equivalent to last year; Congress is debating how much funding will be appropriated for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

The Energy Information Administration at the Department of Energy is projecting that residential heating costs will be close to the prices that prevailed last winter. Despite that prediction, Congress has not yet finalized funding for LIHEAP. Although both the House and the Senate have offered proposals that would essentially provide for level funding of LIHEAP from fiscal year 2006 to fiscal year 2007, the level funding does not account for more qualifying participants in the program.

By the end of the session, Congress should at a minimum increase LIHEAP funding to keep up with the program's growing needs.

LIHEAP provides money to help low-income households afford home heating. Assistance goes to the neediest, including families with children, people with disabilities and the elderly. The program offers critical assistance so those in need will not have to make the choice between paying for heat or paying for rent, food or medicine.

Many are expected to pay more to heat their homes this year. In the Northeast, households are projected to pay about seven percent more in heating oil expenditures compared to last year. Electricity expenditures are projected to rise 10 per cent in the Northeast this winter. And those heating with propane will also .see slightly higher costs this year.

Because natural gas supplies were disproportionately affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita last year, households using natural gas in the Northeast are expected to pay 10 percent less this winter.

LIHEAP funding is particularly important to New England which has more cold winter days than most of the country and experiences higher than average prices because without indigenous energy supplies, the region relies heavily on imports. New England and the rest of the Northeast consume about 75 Percent of the nation's home heating oil.

In fact, when calculating the heating degree days, the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration is predicting that this winter will be 5.9 percent colder compared to last year.

The number of households receiving energy assistance is on the rise. Nationally, the number has increased by 12 percent--the highest total in 13 years, according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association. All six New England states saw an increase in households receiving LIHEAP assistance including New Hampshire, where it is estimated 33,209 households were served in FY06, representing a 10.2 percent increase over FY05.

Each year, more families are eligible for and will likely need assistance. Rising energy costs and increasing numbers of applicants for LIHEAP aid push the limit on the program's effectiveness. If LIHEAP is not funded adequately, states will be confronted by difficult choices such as reducing benefits or turning away new applicants.

The work also needs to be done as soon as possible, as we are entering into the winter heating season. The New England Congressional delegation has consistently been strong advocates for LIHEAE We urge Congress to support the necessary funding for this important program.

James T. Brett is president and CEO of the New England Council.