Tuesday, November 1, 2005
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Blunt Asks Big Oil Companies to Help Low-Income Missourians with High Heating Costs
JEFFERSON CITY–Gov. Matt Blunt today wrote the national association charged with representing the nations’ biggest oil companies to seek their financial assistance for low-income Missourians facing increases in home heating costs.
Blunt’s letter to Red Cavaney, president of the American Petroleum Institute, asked the association and its member companies to work with him to develop a strategy for using a portion of the profits big oil companies gained in the last quarter to help fund Missouri’s Utilicare Program which assists low-income Missourians with home heating costs.
"It is my hope that the big national oil companies whose large profits were obtained in part by their customers in Missouri will come to the table and find a solution to help those in need cope with increasing home heating costs," Blunt said. "I am a strong supporter of responsible business and a believer in creating a regulatory environment where business and entrepreneurs can thrive. This is an opportunity for responsible businesses to give back to Missourians who have been paying extremely high prices at the pump."
Many of Cavaney’s member companies experienced 75 percent increases in year over year profits which are unheard of in the energy industry. Blunt recently secured commitments from natural gas companies in Missouri to waive reconnection fees and suspend deposit requirements for low-income Missourians.
The Energy Information Administration announced in September that home heating costs in the Midwest could rise as much as 71 percent for customers who use natural gas. A copy of Blunt’s letter to Cavaney is attached.
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Governor Blunt's letter to the American Petroleum Institute