ACORN wants to help Seniors afford higher winter heating bills in the future and ease the impact of the outrageous electric rate` increases this summer.

 Refiners are receiving more than three times as much per gallon of gasoline than last year a gain of over $.66 per gallon, companies that pump oil from the ground received an additional $.47 per gallon, an increase of nearly 50% and gas credit card fees have engorged the banking industry with nearly $2.2 billion in additional annual profits.

  This type of rampant profit gouging is integral to out of control utility rate increases that, at the very least, will place a severe financial burden on the working families and middle class of Delaware.

 ACORN represents seniors on fixed incomes and low to moderate income families in Delaware, a group that has suffered and continues to suffer not only an unconscionable financial burden from soaring utility costs but has endured health and humanitarian consequences as well. Across the entire state of Delaware the home energy affordability gap is $77,620,800; ( Colton, Public Finance and General Economics, from year 2005) In 2004-2005 there were over 1300 utility shutoffs in our communities and the projected rate increases will grow that number exponentially. This coming winter season utility costs will result in a potential humanitarian and health catastrophe that is unacceptable to our community. Even with available subsidies and projected increases in funding the money availability will expire in the first months of a harsh winter season. Not only is the funding insufficient, it is not sustainable and does not address the arrearages issue, which is an integral part of the shut-off problem. The 60% electric rate increases will compound the problem of utility unaffordability with disastrous consequences.

 ACORN has proposed and is proposing that the General Assembly take the responsibility to avoid this imminent disaster and pass legislation such as ACORN’s Affordable Utilities Program immediately. This program establishes a sliding scale of assistance to low-income families, establishes an arrearages relief fund and a sustainable program at no cost to the taxpayers of our state. Similar programs are now successfully working in New Jersey and Maryland.  This program taken as is, or modified, should be discussed and considered for implementation before the community suffers any further unnecessary hardships.