ALBANY - State Senate Democrats introduced a proposal Thursday to extend home heating aid to middle-class families and increase the benefit for low-income households.

Sen. Kevin Parker of Brooklyn said his conference will call on the federal government to expand funding so families of four making up to $45,000 a year could get up to $1,000 to help pay their winter heating bills.

The proposal would also create a state-funded middle-income home energy assistance program that would offer an average benefit of $350 to families of four making between $45,000 and $63,699. A family of four with income between $63,700 and $84,899 would, on average, be eligible for $250 in aid.

Parker says the plan could be paid for with proceeds from carbon permits auctioned as part of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative, rather than a new tax.

Senate Democrats also want to make an investment in making older homes and apartments better-equipped to handle winter. Parker said the cost of the program would be covered through tax-exempt state bonds, repaid by consumers through their utility bills.

Without the backing of Senate Republicans - who held a 31-30 margin Thursday - the bill will struggle to get anywhere.

Scott Reif, a spokesman for Senate Republicans, said they are also concerned about the home heating issue and took action with legislation providing a tax deduction to offset the cost of heating oil. The Democrat-controlled Assembly didn't take up that bill last session.

Republicans had little to say about the Democrats' latest home heating proposal, which hasn't yet been drafted into bill form.

“We haven't thoroughly reviewed it yet,” Reif said.

Parker said Democrats don't plan to introduce anything on home heating issues in a special Senate session scheduled Friday. They are hoping to present the bill Aug. 19, the day Gov. David Paterson has called for both chambers of the Legislature to return to work.

The Senate Democrats' energy plan is similar to one introduced Monday by fellow Democrats in the Assembly. The difference is that the Assembly would fund the proposal with an oil company windfall profits tax. Democrats in the Senate aren't opposed to that idea, which is similar to portions of presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama's energy initiative.