Assemblyman Bill Reilich (R,C,I-Greece) today joined his Assembly Minority Conference colleagues in calling on the ‘people’s house’ to pass legislation that would make home heating fuel more accessible and affordable this winter for Monroe County families and seniors.
“Soaring gas prices are placing tremendous strains on family budgets in Monroe County and across the state,” said Reilich. “High gas prices are forcing families to tighten their belts and are having an impact on how far people will travel for vacation this summer. In order to prevent the current hardship from becoming a crisis this winter, I am calling on the Assembly to act now and pass legislation that will make home heating fuel more affordable.”
To prevent a heating crisis this winter, Assemblyman Reilich is calling for the passage of the following proposals to help prevent an energy crisis this winter by:
- Creating a $200 "Heat Tax Rebate" to help seniors afford the cost of heating their homes;
- Providing a Personal Income Tax credit for taxpayers whose home heating costs exceed 5 percent of their New York Adjusted Gross Income. The amount of the credit equals the total amount of heating costs that exceed 5 percent of their New York Adjusted Gross Income;
- Providing a tax credit up to $500 for the cost of removing an old tank and installing a new one;
- Providing a tax credit of 25 percent, or up to $2,500, to offset the cost of energy-efficient improvements to a residence; and
- Exempting state sales tax on alternative fuels used for home heating purposes, including, but not limited to, wood pellets, corn and ethanol.
“The Assembly needs to act now and pass legislation that will provide real relief for home heating this winter,” remarked Reilich. “It is the responsible thing to do and I am hopeful that the Legislature will act before the end of session.”