Hurricane Katrina's financial pinch could be seen this winter on your home heating bill.
Energy experts are predicting home heating bills to rise 35 percent this winter in Wisconsin. Even before the hurricane hit, heating bills were predicted to rise by 18 to 25 percent.
Energy Services of Madison helps low-income families pay for heating costs and they say they are predicting a tough winter. The organization's director, Timothy Bruer, says, "We literally have just short of 6,000 households before the heating season begins that we are working to qualify for hopefully a one-time grant for next federal fiscal year, for the upcoming program and upcoming heating season."
Bruer says the expected increase in heating oil affects our state greatly because in Wisconsin's winters heat is a necessity and it may now become unaffordable for more people.
