DELAWARE DELEGATION ANNOUNCES $4.7 MILLION IN LIHEAP FUNDS TO EASE HEATING/COOLING COSTS

WILMINGTON, D.E. — U.S. Senators Joe Biden and Tom Carper and Congressman Mike Castle today announced $4.7 million in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding that will help Delaware’s seniors and low-income families offset the expected high costs of home heating and cooling. The funding may also be used to weatherize homes to make them more energy efficient, thus reducing the long-term cost of home heating and cooling. On March 20, 2006, President George W. Bush signed into law legislation (S.2320/Public Law 109-204) that provides an additional $1 billion in LIHEAP funding for FY2006. Based on the current allocation formula, Delaware was awarded $4.7 million of these newly released funds. Delaware had been awarded $5.7 million earlier this year, bringing the cumulative amount of LIHEAP funding for Delaware during FY2006 to $10.4 million. “We are very pleased that this new funding was made available for those Delawareans who need it most,” said the Delaware delegation. “With summer just around the corner and a continued trend of rising energy prices, this type of assistance is more important than ever. We hope this money will help ease the burden on Delaware’s seniors and low-income families.”