The American Public Power Association on June 13 submitted testimony to the Senate Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies in support of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
“Over six million people rely on LIHEAP to provide critical financial support for heating and cooling costs, crisis and weatherization assistance, and services that reduce the need for energy assistance,” APPA said in the testimony.
Roughly half of LIHEAP recipients in Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 were age 60 or older, it noted.
“Many of these seniors rely on social security or other fixed incomes that may not keep pace with rising heating and cooling costs. LIHEAP helps these seniors and others with chronic health conditions afford their electricity bills so they can continue to rely on life-saving medical equipment without the threat of service disconnections,” APPA said.
“As community-owned, not-for-profit entities, public power utilities strive to keep electric power affordable and reliable. For many public power utilities, LIHEAP funding makes up the largest portion of utility assistance funding available to their customers.”
For the Omaha Public Power District in Nebraska, LIHEAP funding accounts for 80 percent of the energy assistance funding it receives annually, it noted.
In West Virginia, where public power utilities serve 2,749 homes, LIHEAP provided $54.6 million in assistance to 56,108 households in 2023. Of those households, 43,828 (78 percent) included a vulnerable member, including a person with a disability, a child under the age of 6, or a senior citizen.
“Likewise, Sacramento Municipal Utility District, another APPA member recounts the case of one of their customers – a mother with four children – who was able to use LIHEAP to pay $679 of $1,200 in outstanding bills to get her electricity service restored.”
In addition to ensuring adequate funding, APPA said it shares concerns expressed by the National Energy Assistance Directors Association about the elimination of staff at the Department of Health and Human Services and its effect on the agency’s ability to distribute appropriated LIHEAP funds.
In April, staff within HHS’ Division of Energy Assistance – the office within HHS that administers LIHEAP – were placed on administrative leave and are expected to be terminated.
“Should these positions remain unfilled, this could seriously impact the ability of HHS to disburse funds at the beginning of FY 2026 on October 1, threatening energy affordability for millions of Americans,” APPA said.
