Anticipating cold temperatures and higher utility bills in coming months, Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is urging federal officials to start releasing $3.47 billion in government funds allotted to help needy families pay to heat their homes.
Massachusetts households that are kept warm by oil heat — about 39 percent — can expect to spend a record $2,500, on average, this coming winter, according to a forecast released earlier this month by the federal Energy Information Administration. By comparison, residents who heat with natural gas can expect to pay $1,010 on average, as prices hover near 10-year lows.
Comments
First, that's a poor graphic. It shows an $80 aid decrease being almost as much of a vertical change as a $407 increase in fuel costs. It understates the problem, as drawn. Second, why is none of this money being put toward scrapping oil boilers and replacing them with ones that run on natural gas? Wouldn't it be better for low income folks to have lower heating costs *every* winter from here on out?