缅因州低收入家庭电费自动折扣10月1日起实施 州长米尔斯呼吁国会加码取暖援助
缅因州奥古斯塔——进入十月取暖季，缅因州低收入家庭迎来一笔实实在在的电费减免。据缅因州能源办公室十月通讯，州长珍妮特·米尔斯（Janet Mills）宣布，符合条件的低收入家庭自10月1日起将自动获得电费折扣，无需另行申请。
折扣通过缅因州低收入援助计划（LIAP）发放，总额达4000万美元。州卫生与公众服务部（DHHS）将利用补充营养援助计划（SNAP）、贫困家庭临时援助（TANF）和缅因州医疗补助（MaineCare）等现有项目的数据，自动识别符合条件的中央缅因电力公司（CMP）与Versant电力用户，再由电力公司把信息安全共享后直接在每月账单上抵扣。
与此同时，米尔斯致信缅因州国会代表团，呼吁国会为低收入家庭能源援助计划（LIHEAP）追加拨款。她在信中指出，在能源价格因国际局势持续走高的背景下，现有联邦拨款不足以满足缅因州家庭激增的取暖需求。
此外，缅因州住房局（MaineHousing）已提前拨付近400万美元家庭能源援助计划（HEAP）款项给燃油供应商，帮助约4400户最脆弱家庭在寒潮到来前备足取暖燃油。优先对象包括有老人、幼儿和残障人士的家庭。这笔资金来自2025至2026取暖季的结转拨款。
州能源办公室还在十月初举办了冬季取暖网络研讨会，向居民介绍省钱保暖的实用技巧与援助资源。州政府表示，随着取暖季深入，还将持续公布更多援助信息。
Maine Rolls Out Automatic Electric Bill Discounts for Low-Income Families as Mills Urges Congress to Boost Heating Aid
AUGUSTA, Maine — As heating season begins, low-income Maine families are getting automatic relief on their electric bills. According to the Maine energy office's October newsletter, Gov. Janet Mills announced that eligible low-income customers of Central Maine Power and Versant began receiving automatic discounts on October 1, with no application required.
The $40 million in discounts flows through Maine's Low Income Assistance Program (LIAP). The Department of Health and Human Services is using existing enrollment data from SNAP, TANF and MaineCare to identify eligible households, then securely sharing that information with the utilities, which apply the discount directly to monthly bills.
Mills also wrote to Maine's congressional delegation urging additional federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), saying current federal funding is insufficient to meet sharply higher heating costs.
Separately, MaineHousing released nearly $4 million in early Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) payments to fuel vendors, using carryover funds from the 2025–2026 heating season to help about 4,400 of the state's most vulnerable households — including homes with older adults, young children and people with disabilities — receive fuel before cold weather sets in.
The state energy office also hosted a winter heating webinar in early October with tips and resources to help residents save money and stay warm.
图片来源：缅因州议会大厦穹顶（奥古斯塔），Wikimedia Commons / w_lemay，CC BY-SA 2.0
