New Yorkers who use heating oil to warm their homes will pay $720 more next winter than they did last year, according to U.S. Sen. Charles E. Schumer.

In dollars and cents, the average homeowner's cost will rise from $1,996 last year to $2,716 this winter, Sen. Schumer, D-N.Y., said Sunday.

"Heating our homes next winter is going to make paying gas prices seem almost like a picnic," he predicted. "Most families are going to feel the chill."

Con Edison customers in New York City and Long Island are expected to pay 22 percent more for electricity this summer, the New York Daily News reports — what Mr. Schumer is calling a "perfect storm" for strapped New Yorkers.

The senator has proposed legislation to increase funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which ran short last year. He seeks to provide $2.53 billion more, doubling funding over last year for New York aid recipients.

This is the time of year to be thinking about such matters, before the cold weather sets in. Many people are going to need the help to heat their homes.