PORTLAND (AP) – Low income and elderly Mainers struggling to heat their homes in the face of soaring fuel prices got some good news from the federal government.

Sen. Susan Collins announced that the Office of Management and Budget agreed Wednesday to release $450 million from its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program contingency fund. Of that total, Maine is in line to receive $8.8 million.

Collins, who requested that the funds be released, noted that Maine has already received $25.5 million in LIHEAP money for this winter. About 48,000 Maine households rely on the program for help in paying their energy bills.