U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is working to help low-income homeowners in the Hudson Valley deal with winter's high heating costs.

Many residents rely on the low-income Heating Assistance Program, known as HEAP, to pay for part of their heating costs. With natural gas prices up 40 percent and heating oil prices up 28 percent, people in Orange County can expect to pay an average of $434 more than last year. Plus cut backs in HEAP's funding have many homeowners finding they can?t pay their bills.

Schumer is calling on Congress to agree to fully fund HEAP, along with an additional $2 billion that would be included to level off the high oil prices. If the bill is approved, New York could get an addition $60 million in funding.