Who do I contact to determine if I am eligible?
The CITGO-Venezuela Heating Oil Program uses eligibility criteria similar to that of the federal government's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). For information on eligibility, please contact Citizens Energy Corporation, a non-profit organization with whom CITGO is partnering for implementation of the program.

For more information call:
1-877-JOE-4-OIL (1-877-563-4645)
Or visit:
www.citizensenergy.com

What is the Heating Oil Program?
For the third year in a row, CITGO Petroleum Corporation and Citizens Energy are working with thousands of heating oil dealers in 23 states to deliver millions of gallons of heating oil to families and individuals in need. The help is provided to those who receive fuel assistance from the federal government and others in need. In addition, the program also provides heating oil assistance to homeless shelters, a number of large, multi-unit buildings in New York City, and hundreds of Native American tribes.

Why is the Heating Oil Program needed?
Heating oil prices have recently exceeded $3.00 a gallon, which in some colder weather states, is three times what the cost was in 2000. During these times of record energy prices, many low-income and middle class families already living on a tight budget have difficulty keeping pace with their heating costs when temperatures drop.

When energy prices rise beyond their budgets, families sometimes have little choice but to cut back on food, medicine, and other life essentials. And bad choices lead to bad outcomes. When the heating bills of poor families rise, studies show that they often reduce their spending on food by about the same amount. It is no surprise that cases of undernourished children increase by about one-third during winter months.

How much has the price of home heating oil increased?
The average retail heating oil price has increased from $1.18 a gallon in 2000 to $3.21 a gallon in November 2007. That is a 172% increase -- almost triple the cost. In one-year alone, average retail heating oil prices have increased 35% from $2.37 a gallon to $3.21 a gallon.

With prices at these record highs, it would cost over $800 to fill the average 250-gallon tank. In the dead of winter, this would only last an average household about 2-3 weeks. It could cost families thousands of dollars to stay warm -- money that will be diverted from food, medicine, and other essential purchases.

Where does the savings go?
At today's average retail heating oil prices, eligible families can save about $320 dollars on their heating costs if they receive assistance through this program. These savings could buy:

• A week of groceries - According to an article in the Refund Cents publication (October 6, 2007), the average family of four spends $244 a week on groceries. The $320 saved on heating oil through our assistance program could be converted into over a week's worth of nourishment for parents struggling to feed their children this winter.
• Prescription drugs for the month - Some Medicare beneficiaries may expect an increase in cost of up to $1,915 in premiums and for 5 commonly-used prescription drugs in 2008. The $320 that they are able to set aside as a result of our program may enable some beneficiaries to afford a life-saving prescription.
• Gas to get to work - With the nationwide average for a gallon of regular grade gasoline at $3.09 (as of this week), the $320 saved through our program could buy over 100 gallons of regular gasoline per household. This savings could help to chip away at the $800 increase in gasoline spending that most families will have absorbed by year's end compared to last year's total expense on gasoline.

Why this partnership?

• In 2005 as energy prices soared in the wake of Hurricane's Katrina and Rita, a group of United States Senators sent a letter to all the major oil companies asking them to share 10% of their record profits with families in need.
• Each year, Citizens Energy Corporation asks all of the major oil companies and each OPEC nation to partner with us to help poor people survive tough winters in the face of rising energy costs.
• Despite pleas for help from U.S. Senators and Citizens Energy, for the last three years, only CITGO Petroleum has risen to the challenge and worked with Citizens Energy to help the most vulnerable families in our society.

How many people does the program serve?
In 2006-2007, the program served:

• 180,000 households
• 250 shelters
• 37 Native American tribes

What is government doing to relieve the burden of high energy prices?
The federal government provides limited help through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to low-income families struggling to stay warm during the winter. But this assistance reaches only 16% of eligible families, providing heating and cooling assistance to 5.6 million households annually.

Two years ago, when millions of households sought relief from rising energy prices, Congress increased LIHEAP funding from $2.1 billion in 2005 to $3.2 billion in 2006. But last year, the federal government reduced LIHEAP funding to $2.1 billion, resulting in states cutting grant levels, eliminating crisis assistance, and closing programs to new applicants.

Earlier this year, the Bush Administration proposed slashing LIHEAP funding further, requesting only $1.78 billion in 2008 -- a 44% ($1.38 billion) reduction from 2006 levels. Under this proposed budget, states will be forced to cut benefit levels and eliminate aid to an estimated 1 million families from the program.

Congress recently proposed slightly higher LIHEAP funding in 2008 -- $2.41 billion -- up $250 million over 2007 levels. President Bush, however, vetoed this appropriations bill. Whatever the outcome of this budget debate, the ultimate funding level will fall short of the program's authorized funding level of $5.1 billion.

Why use this oil from Venezuela?

• Venezuela already is the fourth largest exporter of oil to the United States, trailing only Canada, Mexico, and Saudi Arabia.
• In 2006, the U.S. imported more than 1.4 million barrels of oil per day from Venezuela -- more than all the oil produced in Texas, our leading oil state (1.09 million barrels of oil per day).
• In addition to CITGO, many major oil companies get significant amounts of the oil that they sell from Venezuela. It is likely that some of the gas in your car or heating oil in your home came from Venezuela.

How long has CITGO operated in the United States?
CITGO has been in business for nearly 100 years in the United States. Founded in 1910 as the Cities Service Company, the company created the CITGO brand in 1965, along with its familiar trimark logo. After a series of transactions in which CITGO was acquired by Occidental Petroleum and then the Southland Corporation, Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the national oil company of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, bought a 50 percent interest in CITGO in 1986. PDVSA acquired the remaining half of CITGO in January 1990. CITGO is headquartered in Houston, Texas and employs an estimated 4,000 people.

What states are receiving heating oil?
The program has been extended to the following states and the District of Columbia: Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin. CITGO is also providing discount oil directly to 220 Native American communities in the states of Alaska, Arizona, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Washington.

What period of time will be covered by the program?
The program will be active from Dec. 10, 2007 through March 30, 2008. The first delivery was made on Dec. 10 in Boston, Mass.

How much oil has been allocated for this project?
The program will distribute 112 million gallons this winter.

What is the cost to CITGO?
CITGO is distributing this oil at a 40 percent discount from the delivery price.

How does the current program compare to last year's?
This season's deliveries will increase so that more people can receive aid.

How many Native American communities are benefiting from the program?
A total of 220 Native American communities, an increase of 50 as compared to last year's program.

How much is the benefit per household?
100 gallons.