Governor Cox issues statement on rising gas prices and helping low-income and larger families

Utah Governor Cox speaking at the State of the State on January 20. Photo: Utah State Office of the Governor

UTAH — With gas prices again rising in Utah, Governor Cox issued a statement that conveyed his concern with a particular interest in Utahns already struggling to make it by each month.

“Over the last week, Utahns have seen gasoline prices increase again. Prices were just beginning to normalize when a Utah refinery closed for annual maintenance, which is taking longer than expected. A Colorado refinery also shut down in December due to malfunctioning equipment, which has placed additional strain on supply in the Rocky Mountain region. It is expected to be online in March.

“Utah’s gasoline prices typically increase in March because of higher demand; however, due to the regional supply decrease, those price increases have jumpstarted earlier than expected. Unfortunately, this comes on top of an increase in natural gas prices, and we’re very concerned about those struggling to make ends meet. Energy costs affect us all but disproportionately impact those with lower incomes and larger families.

“We’ve met with the refinery and public utility providers to ensure they are doing all they can to actively seek out low-cost production and keep costs low. We appreciate the efforts of our energy partners as we work together to ensure adequate supplies to keep energy available and affordable. The HEAT program provides energy assistance to those with incomes at or below 150% of the poverty level. We also have great partnerships with Dominion Energy and Rocky Mountain Power that provide additional credits for low-income households.”

Visit the state’s website to learn more about the Home Energy Assistance Target (HEAT) program.