WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� said Wednesday it is making $4.5 billion available through a low-income home energy assistance program to help with heating costs heading into what is expected to be a brutal 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 money spent last year was by far the largest appropriation in a single year since the was established in 1981.
The money will be provided to state, local and tribal governments to help more than 5 million families pay heating and utility bill costs, and can also be used to make home energy repairs.
鈥淥ne of the best ways a family can reduce their energy bill is to make their home more energy efficient,'' Vice President Kamala Harris told a crowd at a union hall in Boston.
鈥淏ut here鈥檚 the challenge for many homeowners 鈥� many folks who are here today 鈥� you know that energy efficiency upgrades are expensive,鈥� she said. 鈥淎nd even though we know it can save you thousands of dollars in the long run, the upfront cost is often too high for so many families to be able to afford.''
By helping families improve energy efficiency, 鈥渨e are also lowering energy bills, bringing down household costs, creating jobs and fighting the climate crisis,'' Harris said.
In New England, one of the major utilities has already this winter. Utilities are also seeking price hikes for natural gas and home heating oil, citing the war in Ukraine and inflation. The top executive of Eversource Energy, New England鈥檚 largest energy provider, if a severe cold spell hits this winter.
鈥淭his represents a serious public health and safety threat,'' Eversource CEO Joseph Nolan told Biden, urging the president to use emergency powers to ensure adequate fuel resources in the region.
The announcement of heating assistance comes in the waning days before Tuesday's elections that will determine which party controls Congress. Democrats are trying to contrast their efforts to help middle and low-income people through and other legislative measures with Republican suggestions they would use the debt limit as leverage for cuts to Social Security and Medicare benefits and other federal programs.
鈥淎s heating costs increase, it is more important than ever to help families struggling to make ends meet,鈥� said Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Across the country, families are looking to the winter with dread as energy costs soar and fuel supplies tighten. The LIHEAP program served more than 5.3 million households last year, and a similar number are expected to participate this year.
increases for home heating compared with last winter. Some worry that heating assistance programs will not be able to make up the difference for struggling families. The situation is even bleaker in Europe, where supply constraints caused by Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine are pushing natural gas prices upward and causing painful shortages.
In a related announcement, the Energy Department said Wednesday it will begin allocating $9 billion approved under for a program aimed at supporting energy upgrades to 1.6 million households over the next 10 years. Officials expect to make funding available starting next year to states and tribes to better protect homes against the weather and install some 500,000 new heat pumps.
The White House also said it is spending $250 million from the Defense Production Act to boost domestic production of heat pumps, which are primarily made in Europe and Asia.
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Associated Press writers Chris Megerian in Boston and Colleen Long in Washington contributed to this report.
Matthew Daly, The Associated Press
