What They Are Reading in the States: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Helps Lowers Families’ Energy Expenses

This week, the Biden-Harris administration announced a series of actions to lower energy costs for families as the winter approaches. The actions included providing $4.5 billion in funding to states, territories and Tribes through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help cover home heating costs, settle unpaid utility bills, and make cost-effective home energy repairs to lower families’ heating and cooling bills. The administration also announced $8.5 billion from President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act to support up to 1.6 million households nationwide in upgrading homes and apartments to lower energy bills, including by installing up to 500,000 heat pumps and conducting deep building retrofits through insulation and electrical wiring. These steps will not only help cut home energy costs ahead of the winter months, but will also help households afford energy efficient equipment when they need to make home repairs and save on their bills in the future.

Read below for a sampling of the local coverage.

Nexstar: Biden admin distributing $4.5 billion to help with home heating costs
Billions of dollars in federal aid is being made available to help Americans with their heating bills through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Biden administration said Wednesday that roughly $4.5 billion has been allocated for LIHEAP this winter, to help low-income families pay their energy or utility bills, or, in some cases, to cover the cost of weatherization or repairs. The funds will be distributed to states, territories and tribal governments this week.

New Hampshire Bulletin: New Hampshire to receive $104 million for energy rebates and fuel assistance
During a press event Wednesday, White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi said heat pumps can help households save around $500 a year. Half of the energy costs for a home go to heating and cooling, Zaidi said. Across the country, the $9 billion in funding is enough to help 1.6 million households switch to a heat pump, he said.

NJ.com: N.J. residents to get $336M from feds to help cover rising energy costs
“As we get close to these winter months, millions of hard-working families throughout the country are going to be looking for ways to keep their houses warm” while also putting food on the table, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra said on a conference call with reporters. “We’re going to do everything we can to make LIHEAP work for them.”

Connecticut Public Media: Connecticut will get $86 million to help families pay home heating costs
Connecticut will get $86 million in assistance to help lower heating costs for families this winter. It’s part of $4.5 billion in help for American families announced Wednesday. Spending for the program is significantly higher than the typical annual funding of about $3.5 billion, but far below the $8 billion the administration and congressional Democrats delivered last winter as part of President Joe Biden’s coronavirus relief package. Money will be distributed through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or LIHEAP. The program helps families struggling with energy bills and also pays for home energy repairs to help lower bills.

Boston Business Journals: As energy prices soar, feds release millions in heating aid for New Englanders
“We want to make sure we help all families,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra. LIHEAP is there to help disadvantaged communities, particularly those who are very vulnerable to swings in temperature. We’re going to do everything we can to make LIHEAP work for them once again regardless of all the different calamities affecting the price of energy.”

WFSB (CBS Hartford, CT): Help is on the way to help people pay for energy bills this winter
There is some help on the way. The White House announced more than $13 billion in funding to lower your energy bills. There’s $13.5 billion in funding to help people, and $4.5 billion of that is heading to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). That money will help people pay their heating and utility bills. There will also be $9 billion going to the Inflation Reduction Act. That will help a few million people with home repairs, which will eventually lower heating bills. In Hartford, people are happy there’s some help because they’re getting worried.

WPRI (CBS Providence, RI): Home heating assistance: Here’s how to apply
“As temperatures begin to dip and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine forces worldwide energy price spikes, LIHEAP funds are a real lifeline for many vulnerable Americans,” [Sen. Jack] Reed added. “No one should have to choose between paying their heating bills and paying for other essentials like food and medicine.”

WICS (ABC Springfield, IL): $208 million to help Illinoisans heat their homes in winter “
On Thursday, Illinois received $208,170,481 million to help Illinoisans pay the rising cost of home heating bills this winter. The funding is through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

KAAL (ABC Rochester, MN): Biden announced $4.5B to help lower home heating costs; $128M to MN, $60M to IA
The Biden administration said Wednesday it is making $4.5 billion available through a low-income home energy assistance program to help with heating costs this winter. Spending for the program is significantly higher than the typical annual funding of about $3.5 billion, but far below the $8 billion the administration and congressional Democrats delivered last winter as part of the coronavirus relief package.

KCCI (CBS Des Moines, IA): Iowans can apply for home heating assistance
Iowans worried about paying their heating bills this winter have started signing up for help. The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, opened up the application process Tuesday morning for homeowners and renters.

WCSH (NBC Portland, ME): Maine gets $42.5M in LIHEAP funding as home heating concerns mount
With energy costs soaring and fuel supplies tightening, many Maine families are concerned about heating their homes this winter.  On Tuesday, the state of Maine was awarded $42.5 million through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides funding to help low-income households pay their energy bills […]

WTAE (ABC Pittsburgh, PA): LIHEAP heating assistance program now accepting applications in Pennsylvania
The application process for Pennsylvania’s Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program – known as LIHEAP – is underway for the 2022-2023 season…The federally-funded program administered by the Department of Human Services helps renters and homeowners with home heating bills…The application period for both cash and crisis grants is open until April 28, 2023.

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