Free oil loss may hurt Lynners

LYNN – Citizens Energy Chairman Joseph Kennedy says Citgo has suspended its free heating oil program for low-income residents, a move that could affect thousands of Lynn families receiving oil heat assistance from Lynn Economic Opportunity.Kennedy said Monday the Venezuelan government’s Texas-based oil subsidiary cited falling oil prices and the world economic crisis for forcing the company to reevaluate all of its social programs.The oil program has provided hundreds of thousands of low-income U.S. households with fuel assistance, and is a partner with LEO, where eligible residents in the Greater Lynn area can sign up for the Citizens Energy program at the organization’s Monroe Street office.Residents can receive up to 100 gallons of free oil each year from Citizens Energy if their income is lower than 60 percent of the state median income.The Boston-based non-profit Citizens Energy began the program with Citgo and controversial Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez in 2005, and now reaches over 400,000 households in 16 states.According to LEO statistics, over 1,230 of the 3,460 households the organization helped last year received oil assistance from Citizens Energy – a number that is growing this winter as the economy continues to tank.LEO Executive Director Jack Mogielnicki says the bad economy has caused more area residents to seek aid from LEO this year, as more and more people find themselves unemployed and unable to pay for bills.The irony of the situation for organizations like LEO and Citizens Energy is that over the summer, most thought that it would be the $4 per gallon price of oil that would make things difficult for low income residents when winter approached.But with Monday’s news that it was actually extremely low oil prices combined with a bad economy that prompted Citgo to pull out of the program, many residents find themselves in a no-win situation.”It is unfortunate if it is the falling oil prices that is affecting the low-income people,” said Mogielnicki. “We are seeing new bundles of folks newly laid off and they think that there is a bigger safety net than there actually is out there. We are getting people that we have never seen before this year.”Kennedy said Monday that Citizen’s Energy will continue its heating assistance programs for now, and Mogielnicki said that as of Monday, the organization could still register eligible residents for the Citizen’s Energy program, but neither is sure what the future will hold.”We are still enrolling people, but we are unsure of the direction that Citizen’s Energy is going to go in,” said Mogielnicki. “Anyone who is eligible, we will continue to enroll them, but I wouldn’t bet the ranch on it. It is difficult being in this business and not knowing what to tell people.”Mogielnicki reiterated that he cannot make any promises regarding the availability of Citizen’s Energy oil, but hoped to learn more about the situation this week.Kennedy is hoping that private donors can help continue the program in Massachusetts this year, but urged those who have been helped by the program to write Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez to share their stories.