Just in case people had forgotten how cold it can get around here, and how freezing temperatures increase energy bills, the forecast for this weekend is for overnight temperatures to drop below zero. In years past, when proponents sought more government aid for people struggling to pay their heating bills, the response was always something like, “Gosh, that’s a worthy program and we’d like to help, but this is a tough budget year.”

So here we are in the worst budget crisis in a long time, and Congress has passed a huge increase in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The move calls into question why this wasn’t done sooner, but it’s better than the usual response.

President Bush signed the bill Sept. 30, and it’s the first time LIHEAP has been fully funded since shortly after its inception, during the Reagan administration. Now by “fully funded,” the government means that about 20 percent of the eligible households nationwide will have their energy bills partially defrayed.

Still, LIHEAP hasn’t had that kind of reach since the early 1980s, because the funding hasn’t been adjusted for inflation. That’s meant a decline in the number of families that were helped. This year’s $5.1 billion in aid is double the previous outlay. In fact, the amount is so suddenly larger that organizations charged with disbursing the funds have faced challenges gearing up.

The LIHEAP bill to increase aid was in trouble in August when it got caught up in the controversy over expanding offshore oil drilling. But a compromise on that issue paved the way for more energy assistance. The scramble to deliver the money is a nice problem to have.

The program benefits households by helping pay a heating or air conditioning bill once a year. The grant amounts depend on such factors as household income and size. Because more people qualify than the funds can cover, it can be frustrating to get help. But persistence pays off. Program managers in Kootenai County estimate they will be able to help 500 more households this year. Thus far, the average grant for Spokane has been $567, with a maximum payout set at $1,000.

So there’s more incentive than ever to keep trying.