Low-income New Yorkers facing a winter of astronomical energy prices could see a heap of cash relief if lawmakers in Washington close the deal on a $1 billion federal assistance infusion brokered Thursday by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Shumer.
Schumer, a New York Democrat, worked lawmakers’ phones on Thursday to secure extra funding for the Home Energy Assistance Program, known as HEAP, and appeared to have reached a bipartisan breakthrough that could touch tens of thousands of people in New York City, his office said.
The HEAP program, which provides monthly grants to help low-income and senior households cover energy costs in the winter, typically receives an annual appropriation of some $4 billion. The emergency injection, folded into a stopgap funding bill, would bring the expected annual funding for the program to around $5 billion.
“The remaining $4 billion will happen in December,” Schumer told the Daily News. “But we need the money now, because the cupboard is bare. There are going to be a lot of cold days between now and Christmas time.”
The Senate passed the broader bill by a 72-to-25 vote on Thursday afternoon.
“I’m still pushing for the House to get it done tomorrow,” Schumer said Thursday afternoon, referring to the HEAP measure. Congress has a Friday night deadline to pass the full funding bill.
The intervention arrives amid a global spike in utilities prices driven by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has cut gas exports in response to Western sanctions, and most of New York City’s electrical supply comes from fossil fuels.
Energy cost forecasts look bleak in New York City, where the largest utility provider, Con Edison, has warned residential customers to prepare for price bumps higher than 20% on electrical bills and above 30% on heating bills.
[ New York lawmakers ask for hearing on Con Edison prices as energy costs soar ]
Adding to the potential for misery: the upcoming New York winter threatens to arrive early and usher in record-breaking chills, according to projections in the Farmers’ Almanac.
The HEAP program has long offered a lifeline for vulnerable Americans by depressing their heating costs.
In New York, the program offers support for families with incomes below set limits. A family of four must have an annual income under $63,000 to be eligible this year, according to government guidelines.
The winter application window in New York opens annually in November, and lasts until funding dries up, according to the state.
“New York is one of the states that benefits the most,” Schumer said of HEAP. “Because we have a lot of cold. And a lot of people.”
Anxiety about a shortage in HEAP funds has been mounting since the summer. In August, dozens of lawmakers sent a letter to the Senate and House appropriation committees saying they were “deeply concerned that we will not meet the needs of low-income families this winter.”
But Thursday’s developments signalled a significant step toward bolstering HEAP aid ahead of the winter.
Schumer said the measure’s fate was “looking good” in the House, but acknowledged that “around Washington, it’s never done until it’s done.”
His spokesman Angelo Roefaro predicted enough Republicans would rally behind the aid, noting they “also have winters in their states.”