New York residents will feel the price of their home energy and heating bills more then than ever this winter. As gas prices at the pump reach record highs, home heating oil is experiencing a rise in price per gallon. Last winter the average New York State family paid an average of $1,996 on heating alone , and according to New York Sen. Charles Schumer, families will most likely have to pay an extra $720, raising the average heating bill to $2,716. This rise in oil prices, coupled with Con Edison's energy rate increases by 22% for the summer has created what Schumer calls a "Perfect Storm" for New Yorkers who are struggling to pay their energy bills as is.

Oil DeliverySchumer, along with Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders (I) have introduced legislation to increase funding to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program by 2.53 billion dollars. This program assists homeowners who live on fixed incomes such as the elderly and the disabled who Schumer claims were left to fend for themselves when the program ran out of funds last winter. Schumer believes that unless funding to the program is increased, funding could run dry by Christmas of this year.