FY 2026
All Parties Letter

Open Letter to Senate and House Committees on Appropriations

In support of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

Dear Appropriators:

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a critical, life-saving program that serves eligible households in all 50 states plus U.S. territories and tribes, including those persons most susceptible to illness or death resulting from unsafe indoor air temperatures. The National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), along with our dedicated partners signing this letter, strongly urge Congress to provide adequate funding for LIHEAP in Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 in order to protect access to energy and fuel for families struggling with kitchen table budgets that are increasingly difficult to balance.

Energy is essential to provide basic needs like heating and cooling, hot water, and refrigeration. For more than 40 years, LIHEAP has reliably and effectively stabilized families and provided benefits that relieve the energy burden for those most vulnerable. LIHEAP also keeps electricity flowing to life-saving equipment for those with chronic health conditions. LIHEAP prevents disconnection of service, contributes to housing stability, and protects health and safety. Most states also use a portion of the LIHEAP funds to provide home weatherization energy efficiency measures, delivering lower utility bills and making critical repairs to heating and cooling equipment.

More than 2.4 million LIHEAP recipients in FY 2023 were age 60 or older, and most of those seniors survive on their Social Security benefits or other fixed incomes that do not increase proportionately to the increases in costs of heating and cooling. No one should be forced to choose between food and electricity, or medicine and utilities.

1. Energy access is crucial for household safety

• 17% of adults report having kept their home at a temperature that felt unsafe or unhealthy in the past year
  (source).
• The average limited-income household’s energy burden is three times that of other households
  (source).
• Nearly 27% of Americans reduced or forwent basic expenses such as food and medicine so they could pay their energy bill in the last 12 months
  (source).
• One in six people have been unable to pay the full amount of their energy bill at least once in the past year
  (source).
• LIHEAP restored power or prevented disconnection 2,757,200 times in FY 2023
  (source).

2. LIHEAP plays a vital role in protecting families

• 34,000 children were lifted out of poverty because of energy assistance in 2022
  (source).
• 68,000 people age 65 or older were lifted out of poverty because of energy assistance in 2022
  (source).
• In FY 2023, 60,818 homes were weatherized with LIHEAP funds, improving the health, safety, and affordability for those households
  (source).
• Three out of 10 households receiving LIHEAP reported using their kitchen stove to heat their home at least once in the year preceding assistance. LIHEAP helps families avoid dangerous heating practices in winter
  (source).
• One in four households receiving LIHEAP reported that they could not afford to address the non-functioning furnace or cooling system in their homes. LIHEAP helps repair and replace broken systems, keeping homes safe and energy efficient
  (source).
• The need for year-round LIHEAP offerings is growing, especially the need for cooling assistance. In 2023, at least 2,325 people in the United States died from heat-related causes, a record high. LIHEAP protects people from extreme heat and cold in their homes. LIHEAP saves lives
  (source).

3. Overcoming energy insecurity requires consistent efforts

• The rising costs of energy, fuel, and other resources are having an impact on affordability. Ongoing support is necessary to continue to address the serious implications of energy insecurity
  (source).
• Year-round programming that includes both heating and cooling assistance is becoming increasingly necessary
  (source).
• Crisis presents a persistent and insidious state of emergency for LIHEAP families. Consistent and comprehensive funding ensures families maintain a safe home environment year-round
  (source).

As commodity prices increase disproportionate to wages and weather-related occurrences become more extreme, funding for LIHEAP has become increasingly strained. LIHEAP is able to serve only about 1 in 5 eligible households with regular appropriations each year. We ask that federal appropriators consider the need for increased funding to ensure adequate resources for the program, including for states that use LIHEAP funds for both cooling and heating homes, which helps mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures and rising commodity prices on household budgets.

There is a clear need to expand resources to support those who have fallen behind. NEUAC and its national coalition, along with the stakeholder organizations across the country that have signed this letter, urge Congress to fully support LIHEAP and maximize funding in FY 2026.

Thank you for your consideration.