LYNDONVILLE - To some residents of Vermont's North East Kingdom, home heating may not be a problem, but for most it is.

Residents and families are feeling the crunch on they're wallet as oil prices go up, along with the White House and Congress cutting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP funding by 25 percent, the choice between a warm bed and a warm meal has become more and more prevalent in the North East Kingdom.

With funding for LIHEAP being cut the state of Vermont and non-profit organizations have had to make up the difference. This year the Federal Government shelled out 1.2 billion dollars less than last year when they shelled out 3.5 billion for home heating assistance, and according to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association...all that money is for nearly 9,000 homes across the country.

"I can't have so much in my checking account and I thought well how can I ever pay my bills," said Olivine Perrault of Lyndonville. Perrault is one resident that has been able to receive help paying for fuel.

"I've been talking to local emergency planning committees about what would happen if we get to a place where things are so bad where people can't heat their homes and we need open up shelters for ten or twelve families just like the Red Cross and use the bottom of a church or something because we are not confident that things are going to work out in this political environment," said Joe Patrissi of Northeast Kingdom Community Action.

Last winter Vermont received 2.6 million in Federal Aid to benefit 27,000 low income homes across the state, and Vermont's Congressional Delegation is working towards bring the funding level back up to last years amount.

"The folks back home that are needing this help do not control the temperature and they do not control the price of oil, they don't, or gas. They are just on the receiving end of what public policy decisions are made." said Rep. Peter Welch Democrat State of VT

"Until I knew I was going to get that I turned my thermostat to 65 during the day and 60 or 62 at night. I was really cold. When I found out I was going to get some money since then I've kept it 70 during the day and 65 at night because I was really cold before." said Perrault

"I'm not disappointed at all in the Governor and our state legislature, and our congressional delegation with that said the rest of the congress, I don't know what movie they think they're in, but the safety net is really critical for people so people don't die and people don't starve, don't have to rob their food money to pay for their rent money." said Patrissi

Representative Welch co-introduced the Energy Assistance for American Families Act, which would add 2.5 billion dollars in additional funds to help expand the reach of LIHEAP.

For questions on home heating assistance you can call the senior helpline at 1-800-642-5119