As the death toll from this winter’s cold spell climbs, freezing temperatures have stirred up a blizzard of applications to a home heating assistance program criticized for its connection to Venezuela’s socialist-and President Bush-bashing-President Hugo Chavez.
“Our call volume has increased exponentially in the past month,” Citizens Energy Corp. Spokesperson Ashley Durmer said. Citizens Energy Corp., a nonprofit organization, funnels discounted heating oil from Venezuela-owned CITGO Petroleum Corp. to eligible applicants.
“Temperatures have dropped lately and with that comes the need for heating,” she said.
The controversial program, first launched in 2005 with 40 million gallons of cut-rate heating oil for six states, was renewed this winter with 100 million gallons for 163 Native American tribes and 17 jurisdictions — including, for the first time, Virginia, Maryland and the District of Columbia.
Citizens Energy Corp. manages the 80 million-gallon residential program that provides up to 200 gallons of home heating oil at a 40-percent discount to applicants at orbelow 60 percent of the area median family income. According to the nonprofit, 8 million gallons of this allotment have been earmarked for the estimated 40,000 eligible households in the tri-state area — and 30,000 households have already qualified.
“I thought it was a great thing,” said Lillian Benjamin, 75, of North Capitol Street, who in January received 168 gallons of heating oil at $1.43/a gallon instead of $2.39. “I really enjoyed what I got. I’m living on a fixed income, and I was thankful.”
“CITGO sells us oil at a 40 percent discount and we pass that discount on to the household by reselling the oil in the marketplace,” Citizens Energy Corp. Communications Director Brian O’Connor said. He also said the entire resale profit goes into the assistance fund.
Pressed on the controversial nature of the program, O’Connor said that Citizens Energy “approached every oil company and OPEC country [for help] … and only one country and one company responded.”
Benjamin said she learned of the assistance program through recently aired television ads. When asked if the program’s association with anti-capitalist Chavez gave her any pause, Benjamin chuckled. “Let me tell you something. I got the oil in my tank. I needed it. I burned it. And I’m happy … Honey, the oil’s got to come from somewhere.”
