WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senator Jack Reed announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded Rhode Island $24,039,524 in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding to help low-income households lower their energy bills this winter.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program that provides financial help with heating costs for qualifying households.  It is administered at the state level by the Rhode Island Department of Human Services and local Community Action Program (CAP) agencies.

“As colder weather approaches, this is good news for Rhode Islanders who need some help keeping their heat on this winter. Many Americans are facing elevated energy bills and I champion LIHEAP because it’s a real lifeline for seniors on fixed incomes and families that are struggling to balance the costs of energy bills and other household necessities,” said Senator Reed, a senior member of the Appropriations Committee.

Maintaining safe indoor air temperatures is critical, particularly for households that include older adults, individuals with disabilities, and young children. By helping to reduce the costs of home heating and cooling bills, reconnecting energy services that have been disconnected, preventing energy shutoffs, and providing minor energy-related home repairs, LIHEAP helps make sure that our neighbors can meet their home energy needs and stay safe in their homes. 

Earlier this month, Senator Reed, along with U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) urged the Biden Administration to act swiftly to release these federal LIHEAP funds.  Reed and Murkowski also led a bipartisan letter urging the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to take additional steps to reduce energy costs for Americans.

Applications for LIHEAP grants opened on October 1 and Rhode Islanders may apply for assistance through their local Community Action Agency [ricommunityaction.org]. LIHEAP assistance amounts vary based on the number of people living in the household, total household income, heat source, and other factors.

To qualify for LIHEAP in Rhode Island, a household’s combined gross income must be equal to or less than 60 percent of the State Median Income (SMI) for their household size.  For example, a household of four could earn $68,605 and qualify. Family size, fuel type, and minimum delivery requirements are also considered for LIHEAP primary grants.

Both homeowners and renters are eligible to apply for LIHEAP assistance. This year, LIHEAP grants to Rhode Island households range from $75 to $1,221 in initial grants.

There are two components to the program:

Heating Assistance: A grant to assist a household in meeting heating costs. The grant may be paid to either a heating fuel vendor or utility company, or in a few cases, directly to the applicant.

Crisis Assistance: A grant to help resolve a home heating crisis caused by a heat shut-off because of failure to pay a regulated energy bill, the inability to pay for deliverable fuel, or the failure of a heating system that is not repairable.

Last season, from October 2022 through September 2023, 26,748 households across the state received non-crisis heating assistance grants through LIHEAP.  Additionally, there were 4,078 crisis grants for heating and 25,0001 grants for cooling issued to households.

Not sure whether you qualify? Households can easily identify if they may be eligible for assistance by using the LIHEAP Eligibility Tool on energyhelp.us.