High energy costs worry officials

As the winter home-heating season approaches, officials are worried that some Plainville residents won't be able to afford the cost of filling their basement oil tanks.
Right now, oil for home furnaces can cost 30 to 60 cents per gallon more than gasoline prices.

Susie Woerz, executive director of the Plainville Community Food Pantry, is especially concerned. She said that she pays nearly $500 a month to heat and provide electricity for her home. The trouble is some people are having to choice among life's necessities - food, rent, heat or medicine.

In her 19 years working at the food pantry, she said she "has never seen it this bad. It's scary." Woerz said local, state and federal officials are working hard to bring some relief to middle class residents, the elderly, disabled and the needy.

During the past several weeks, Woerz has been talking with state Rep. Elizabeth A. "Betty" Boukus, U.S. Rep. Christopher Murphy, Councilman Jason Rupaka and representatives at Operation Fuel.

Boukus said refineries will switch over from producing gasoline to home-heating oil should occur in late September or early October and that could help prices to become stable or decrease slightly.

She said the General Assembly met in special session starting Aug. 22 at the State Capitol. Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who called the session, wants the legislature to examine ways to provide relief to homeowners wishing to fill up their oil tanks. Boukus said she is committed to providing assistance to low and middle-class homeowners.

Rell has promised more state funds for fuel assistance programs such as Operation Fuel. Heating oil dealers may be required to reduce the minimum purchase for oil tanks to 100 gallons because some residents cannot afford the more than $1,000 it costs to fill tanks now.

Woerz said a summit meeting of area food pantries and Operation Fuel officials will occur in November. One good thing, Woerz said, towns and food pantries have had time to prepare. "It's still the summer," she said, adding that winter is right around the corner.

Rupaka also brought up the subject at the Aug. 4 council meeting. He said residents deserve to live with basic lifestyle services such food, a roof over their heads and warmth. Rupaka said he met with Woerz and the local social services department to see what help is available for Plainville residents.

Woerz said that so far, 85 local families have signed up for fuel and energy assistance. "And it's only August," she lamented. She said while local residents, businesses and groups are good to the food pantry, donations have dropped recently and residents who were donors are applying for assistance. "It's the toughest year ever," she said. "The community is in a real pinch.

Both Rupaka and Murphy think the country has to do its best to reduce its dependence on foreign oil. Little things can help such as alternative energy projects. Rupaka said Plainville has stood out in seeking and providing alternative energy sources for public buildings.

However, Murphy said while the government can help, it cannot do it all. He said he thinks some relief could come from getting President George W. Bush to release some of the strategic emergency oil reserves to cold-weather states.

Unfortunately, Murphy said, the national economy is tied to oil prices because businesses have to operate and be able to economically transport goods. While gasoline prices have fallen in recent weeks, diesel fuel costs about $1 a gallon more.
Murphy said he often sets himself in front of area supermarkets to hear what residents are thinking, and they are very concerned about energy costs and the faltering economy.

While Boukus thinks the sputtering economy will right itself in the near future, the key is to ensure no one falls through the cracks. One thing that state officials are doing is putting innovative transportation initiatives on a fast track. The state has bought new rail cars for the Shore Line and Shore Line East railroads. New commuter rail service is being looked at for New Haven to Hartford and another proposal was made to reinstate passenger rail service from Waterbury to Berlin and possibly connecting with the New Britain-to-Hartford busway that is being built.

If commuter rail is reinstated in central Connecticut, Plainville could benefit. A simple railroad shelter locally would mean residents could travel to Hartford or Waterbury.