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."
