News Release

HHS Provides $121 Million in Energy Assistance

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced the release of $121 million in energy assistance to help eligible low-income households meet home energy costs. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds are expected to provide states with heating assistance for the winter months ahead.

“The release of these funds will address the energy emergencies low-income families face during the upcoming cold winter months,” Secretary Leavitt said.

Of the $121 million, $96 million will go to help individuals heat or cool their homes in all 50 states, territories, tribal areas and the District of Columbia. An additional $25 million under LIHEAP will assist the following states identified as having large numbers of eligible households that use oil to heat their homes: Alaska, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Vermont.

“This assistance with home heating costs will help ensure the safety of those individuals most in need, including children, the elderly and the disabled,” said Daniel Schneider, acting assistant secretary for the Administration for Children and Families.

The funds released today bring the total delivered under LIHEAP to approximately $2.59 billion this fiscal year.

For a complete list of state allocations of the funds released today go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/news/press/2008/liheap_contingency_fund_release.html#primary.

Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance should contact their local/state/ LIHEAP agency. For more information, go to: http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap or http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/liheap/brochure.html.

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Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.

Last revised: September 17, 2008