State looks for support on heating bill assistance

Illinois is calling on the private sector to help with thiswinter's home heating crisis -- both financially and by educatingpeople about energy assistance programs and conservation.

"We remain deeply concerned for all of our citizens, certainly ourmost vulnerable, but additionally those citizens who get a very largegas bill and won't be prepared for it," said Ed Hurley, Illinois'special director of emergency energy assistance. He spoke after astate-organized summit of 50 business, non-profit and public sectorleaders to discuss the heating crisis in Illinois.

Illinois has $150 million in state and federal money to distributethrough the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, thesame amount it had last year. Heating bills are expected to rise asmuch as 70 percent this winter.

Already, 219,625 applications have been made for LIHEAP grantsacross the state, including 119,626 in Cook County.

At Wednesday's meeting, the United Way of Illinois and theChicagoland Chamber of Commerce announced they are partnering withthe state to identify and help businesses and organizations willingto commit to Illinois' conservation and assistance efforts.

Participants in the summit included Charter One Bank, which hasgiven $100,000 to help homeless shelters with their heating bills,and Culver's restaurants, which has raised more than $26,000 forheating assistance in Illinois.

Information about assistance programs and energy conservation isavailable at www.keepwarm.illinois.gov, or through a hotline at (877)411-WARM.