As Home-Heating Season Approaches, Luján, Bipartisan Colleagues Urge Trump Admin. to Swiftly Release LIHEAP Funding

Washington, D.C. - With energy costs rising and winter approaching, U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) in leading a bipartisan push for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible.

Appropriators worked on a bipartisan basis to make roughly $4 billion in federal LIHEAP funds available for the coming year.

Thirty-one U.S. Senators joined in calling on HHS to swiftly distribute LIHEAP aid before winter home-heating bills arrive to help states and eligible households manage their energy costs.

LIHEAP provides financial assistance to income-eligible homeowners and renters to help with energy bills and for reconnection of energy service. The program is targeted to assist vulnerable households facing high energy burdens-the share of a household's income that goes toward their energy bills. Low-income homes generally spend the biggest percentage of their income on utility bills. However, factors such as income, weather, housing stock, fuel type, and energy-efficiency can all impact a household's energy burden.

"As you know, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (P.L. 119-103) requires the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute no less than 90 percent of its total LIHEAP allotment by November 1, 2026. Given the extraordinary pressure consumers will face this winter, we ask that you make this distribution well before the deadline," the 31 U.S. Senators wrote.

In addition to Luján, Reed, Collins, and Murkowski, the letter was signed by U.S. Senators Angela D. Alsobrooks (D-MD), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Chris Coons (D-DE), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Mark Warner (D-VA), Edward J. Markey (D-MA), Peter Welch (D-VT), Angus S. King, Jr. (I-ME), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NM), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Gary Peters (D-MI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

The bipartisan group of Senators say the federal government should put preparation ahead of politics and ensure LIHEAP funding is allocated in a timely manner to keep vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives.

Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year. And more households may need heating assistance this winter as temperatures drop and the cost of oil, gas, propane, and other residential fuels rise.

States and tribes typically receive their LIHEAP allocations from HHS by early November. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. While eligibility varies by state, most applicants must have a household income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline or 60 percent of the state median income.

LIHEAP applications are open for all income-eligible households. Senior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2027 - or until the funding is exhausted. To find your state agency, visit HHS's LIHEAP State Map of Contacts.

LIHEAP provides direct payments to utility companies on behalf of approved applicants with demonstrated need.

According to a new forecast from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), heating will be more expensive for allU.S. households this year, but some homes will be hit with steeper increases than others.

Heating oil costs are projected to soar by 31.3 percent this winter, the largest increase among the major heating fuels.

Overall, the average American household is projected to spend an average of $1,030 to heat their homes this winter, an 8.7 percent increase over last year.

Full text of the letter follows:

Dear Secretary Kennedy:

As you know, the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act for Fiscal Year 2027 (P.L. 119-103) requires the Department of Health and Human Services to distribute no less than 90 percent of its total LIHEAP allotment by November 1, 2026. Given the extraordinary pressure consumers will face this winter, we ask that you make this distribution well before the deadline.

October marks the start of the heating season for many states, and with temperatures already dropping, low-income families and seniors are feeling additional strains on their household budgets. As the main federal program benefiting these individuals with their energy bills, LIHEAP provides critical assistance to vulnerable families and seniors during the cold winter and hot summer months. State agencies and tribes are already activating their LIHEAP programs for the coming winter. A quick release of funding will ensure no gaps in assistance.

We look forward to working with you on this critical program. Thank you for your attention to our concerns and those of our constituents.

Sincerely,