FY 2027 All Parties Letter

IN SUPPORT OF THE LOW INCOME HOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (LIHEAP)

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a critical, life-saving resource that supports eligible households in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and tribal communities—including those most vulnerable to illness or death from unsafe indoor temperatures. The National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC), together with the undersigned partners, urges Congress to provide robust funding for LIHEAP in Federal Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 to help ensure families can maintain access to the energy and fuel they need as they struggle to balance increasingly strained household budgets.

Energy is essential for meeting basic needs. For more than 40 years, LIHEAP has played a vital role in stabilizing households and reducing the energy burden for those most vulnerable. The program keeps electricity flowing to life-saving medical equipment, prevents utility disconnections, and helps preserve housing stability. Many grantees also invest a portion of their LIHEAP funds in home weatherization and energy efficiency measures, helping families lower their utility bills and make critical repairs to heating and cooling systems.

In FY 2024, LIHEAP served nearly 6 million households in states, tribes, and U.S. territories. LIHEAP protected 2.4 million adults age 60 or older with those funds, many relying on Social Security or other fixed incomes that struggle to keep pace with rising energy costs. Additionally, more than 2.1 million households included at least one member with a disability, and nearly one million had a child age five or younger. These are the individuals most vulnerable to dangerous indoor temperatures. LIHEAP serves as a vital first line of protection for older adults, young children, and people with serious health conditions, helping them remain safe in their homes.

As commodity prices increase disproportionate to wages and weather-related disasters become more frequent, funding for LIHEAP has become increasingly strained. LIHEAP is able to serve only 1 in 5 eligible households with regular appropriations each year. We ask that Congress consider the need for increased funding to ensure adequate year-round resources for the program, including funds for both heating and cooling homes, weatherization, and crisis response.

NEUAC, together with the stakeholder organizations signing this letter, urges Congress to maximize LIHEAP funding in FY 2027 and ensure adequate federal staffing levels to deliver these vital services to eligible households.