Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

The state will get $843,229 more in emergency heating money for families' homes this winter, U.S. Sen. Jack Reed, D-Rhode Island, announced today.

Nearly 30,000 Rhode Island households last year relied on LIHEAP to help pay for heating their homes and to pay delinquent utilities bills so they can restart service, Reed's office said.

Rhode Island is one of 11 states to receive this second wave of money from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund, the release said. The other states are Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Vermont.

“When temperatures drop, heating bills rise for many Rhode Island families. This additional funding will help lift the burden on many seniors and parents who need help paying their energy bills,” Reed said. Reed is chairman of the Northeast-Midwest Coalition, a group of senators that he said pushes ahead policies to improve region's economy and environment.

LIHEAP is a federal grant program that gives states money annually to run home energy-assistance programs for low-income households.

-- projo.com staff writer Michael P. McKinney

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