CHENANGO COUNTY – The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) in Chenango County may have some share in the millions of dollars recently added to the federal program in New York State.

It was announced last week that New York is slated for an additional $33 million from the Federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) to help seniors and low income families offset the cost of heating their homes. The surge of funding comes in the wake of cold temperatures and a quickly drying pool of existing funds. U.S. senators Charles Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand made the announcement official on Friday.

“Hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers each year, many of whom are seniors on a fixed income, rely on (HEAP) funding to help pay for the home heating costs that have become a larger and larger share of their budget,” Schumer said in a press statement. “This additional funding will help people cover costs during this very cold winter and will mean fewer people will have to choose between paying for heat and rent, heat and prescription drugs, or heat and putting food on the table.”

Schumer additionally cited the importance of making more funds available while there are still two months of winter left. HEAP is the main federal program that helps low-income households and seniors with their energy bills, providing vital assistance during both the cold winter and hot summer months.

Despite not having received official notification from the State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance (OTDA), the Chenango County Department of Social Services is keeping an eye out. To date, Chenango DSS has allocated HEAP funds to a total 4,384 households in the county: 182 through the Temporary Assistance Program; 2,593 through SNAP befits; and 1,609 through HEAP alone. The agency has additionally issued emergency HEAP benefits to another 516 households.