LIHEAP Public Opinion Poll
Survey Responses: 1999

1. First, I'm going to read a list of various fuels people use to heat their homes. Please tell me which one of the fuels, if any, is the primary heating source for your home:

4. Next I will read you a list of various fuels used to cool homes. Please tell me which one, if any, is the primary energy source for cooling your home:

5. These days would you say the cost of energy to heat homes in the winter and cool them in the summer is higher, about the same, or lower than compared to five years ago?

6. From what you read or hear, do you think it is more difficult, neither more nor less difficult or less difficult for low income families to pay their heating and cooling bills today than it was five years ago?

7. Next, I'd like to ask you about the federally funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program also known as LIHEAP. In general, do you favor or oppose the LIHEAP program to help poor elderly and low income families pay their energy bills during cold or hot weather emergencies?

8. In efforts to reduce the federal budget, funding for LIHEAP has been cut in half in recent years and some members of Congress have proposed that the LIHEAP program be cut further or even eliminated. Other members of Congress say LIHEAP has taken more than its fair share of budget cuts, serves only one of five people who need the assistance, and that it should have its funding increased to provide a safety net to help impoverished elderly and poor families meet their energy bills. What do you think: should Congress substantially increase funding for the LIHEAP program, increase funding modestly, reduce funding further or should the program be eliminated altogether?

9. As you may be aware, even after they obtain jobs, many former welfare recipients live below the poverty level. In helping these people successfully complete the transition from welfare to work, do you think the LIHEAP program can be very, somewhat or not at all helpful?

10. During severe weather seasons, people living in poverty and low income elderly should not have to choose between buying fuel to heat their homes and buying food for themselves and their families.

11. There is no need for a program like this. The price of energy used to heat and cool homes will get lower in the future so poor people will not be faced with this problem.

12. Life saving programs such as LIHEAP are so important that funding for the program should not be reduced in the name of an income tax cut.

13. If your congressman voted to reduce or end funding for programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, would you be more likely or less likely to vote for them in next year's elections?

Validation Questions

I've got just a couple more questions that I would like to ask you for statistical purposes only. This information is absolutely confidential and will only be used for analysis and validation.

V-1. How many people, counting yourself, live in your household?
Mean = 2.90

V-2. Do you own or rent your home?

V-3. Does a landlord pay your utility bills or do you pay them directly?

V-4. Next, I'm going to read off some age groups. Please tell me which one best describes you.

V-5. Now, please tell me which of these education levels best describes you:

V-6. Which of the following categories best describes your ethnic origin?

V-7. Finally, and again, this is confidential and for statistical comparison only, I'd like to list some broad income categories. Please stop me when I come to the category of annual household income that describes you best:

View survey methodology