Shuster Introduces Legislation to Fight Rising Home Heating

Press Release

Shuster Introduces Legislation to Fight Rising Home Heating
Prices, Promote Long Term Energy Efficiency

Bill Introduced After Democrats Blocked Shuster's Amendment to their
"No-Energy" Bill

Washington, D.C. -Congressman Bill Shuster introduced legislation to lessen the burden of rising home heating oil prices for American families and promote energy conservation through the extension of tax credits.

Shuster first attempted to offer the home heating portion of his legislation as an amendment to the energy bill now being considered by Congress. However, the Democrats used their domination of the Rules Committee to block his amendment from a vote on the House floor. "The Democrats on the Rules Committee blocked my amendment because they knew it would pass," Shuster said. "This is another example of Democrats being more interested in having an issue to talk about than actually doing something to solve our important problems. They're all rhetoric and no action."

"The Democrat's energy bill does absolutely nothing to combat high home heating oil prices. It actually contains tax increases on oil and gas companies that would make home heating oil more expensive for working families," Shuster said. "This isn't the kind of message we need to send America as the days get colder."

Home heating oil is extremely important to people throughout the Northeast with Pennsylvania ranking second only to New York in total heating oil consumption. It is imperative that Congress combat the rising price of oil by enacting tax credits for the people who use this fuel as well as incentives to promote energy efficiency for the years ahead. "My legislation will accomplish this goal by helping families afford the home heating oil they need this winter. In addition, this legislation promotes energy efficiency by extending tax credits to make new construction energy efficient and promote the use of alternative energy sources," Shuster added.

Shuster's legislation would help families by creating a one-year tax credit for $500, or $1,000 for a joint return, for people earning 200% or less of the poverty line whose primary source of heating energy is home heating oil. An income at 200% of the poverty line for a single person is $20,420; $27,380 for a family of two; and $41,300 for a family of four.
Shuster's legislation will extend certain tax credits in the Energy Policy Act through December 2012. Those tax credits include:
• Individual tax credit for 30% of expenditures made for residential energy efficient property,
including photovoltaic property, solar water heating property, and fuel cell property;
• A tax deduction for energy efficient commercial building property: New buildings that reduce annual energy and power consumption by 50% would be eligible for a deduction equaling the cost of energy-efficient property installed during construction, with a maximum deduction of $1.80 per square foot of the building;
• Tax credit for contractors for the construction of new energy efficient homes: Credit applies to the construction of a qualified new energy-efficient home meeting Energy Star criteria and saving 50% of the energy set forth in the Energy Policy Act of 2005;
• Individual tax credit for residential energy efficiency improvements: Includes those who purchase and install specific products, such as energy-efficient windows, insulation, doors, roofs, and heating and cooling equipment in the home.

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