Gov. M. Jodi Rell today announced she has authorized Connecticut’s home-heating assistance program to immediately boost payments to participating oil vendors by 4 cents per gallon, a reaction to increases on the volatile international oil market that threaten to affect deliveries to those in need of home heating assistance across the state.
The governor’s action is designed to help about 300 local heating oil vendors who work with the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program. The extension should increase the stability of the home heating assistance program that currently serves over 61,000 low-income and other vulnerable households.
“My chief concern is ensuring the continuity of this lifeline,” Rell said in a statement. “Like their customers, heating oil dealers are affected by a market driven by factors largely beyond our control. Authorizing the Department of Social Services to increase payments will not solve the overall problem but should provide some help to our participating dealers. Every one of these dealers made a decision to stay with the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program and they deserve our best efforts as we try to stretch limited federal dollars.”
