WA working families eligible for $6.49 million in energy bill assistance. Here’s how
Millions in energy assistance for working families are coming to Washington state.
Washington state will receive more than $6.49 million in federal funds to lower heating and cooling costs for working families, U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen announced in a Wednesday, April 27, news release. The funds are part of a $1.5 trillion federal omnibus bill passed last month that provides aid to Ukraine and funds the federal government through September.
The funds will help lower energy bills, provide crisis assistance and protect homes from extreme weather, the release states. The funds are administered by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services through its Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This is the fourth round of energy assistance in the last year.
The funds are critical for low-income households and communities of color who are often more vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and extreme weather, the release states.
“As working families in the Second District grapple with rising energy prices, I am working to lower costs and ensure homes remain safe and comfortable. Thanks to the bipartisan omnibus spending bill, this fourth round of federal energy assistance will help families pay energy bills, bring down costs and protect homes,” Larsen said in a prepared statement.
The Lummi Indian Business Council and the Opportunity Council administer the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program funds in Whatcom County.
Since the start of the energy season on Oct. 1, the Opportunity Council has served more than 3,000 households in Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, said Lorena Shah, assistant director of Community Programs with Opportunity Council. The energy season runs through August and will start over in October 2022, Shah said.
Shah said Opportunity Council has not yet received its allocation of the $6.49 million, but said that community members are still benefiting from previous releases of additional funding.
In order to qualify for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, households must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level and be responsible for paying their heating or electric bill, Shah said. For a household of four, that’s roughly $3,313 per month in income.
Shah said she encourages households to still call Opportunity Council even if their incomes are close to the limit so they can discuss options.
A household can receive each type of Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program benefit once per season. The benefits offered by the program include regular bill payment assistance, additional COVID-19 bill pay assistance, past-due bill assistance, a portable AC unit and furnace repair assistance for homeowners, Shah said.
Since May 2021, the Opportunity Council has provided roughly $3.1 million in benefits through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, she said.
With the new funding, Opportunity Council will be able to serve additional households throughout the rest of this season and next season and will allow the nonprofit to expand the portable AC units to more eligible households, Shah said. It’s estimated that only 10% of eligible households receive benefits through the program, she said.
“We understand that heat waves like we experienced last year will become more common with climate change and the most vulnerable households often are home-bound and cannot travel to cooling centers or otherwise find relief from the heat. Portable AC units can help bring down the temperature and minimize the health risks of extreme heat,” Shah said.
Nationally, more than 90% of households who receive benefits through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program have at least one vulnerable person — an adult 60 years or older, a child age 18 or younger, or an individual with a disability — in their household, according to the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition Washington state fact sheet.
The U.S. Census Bureau estimated that energy assistance programs lifted 27,000 children out of poverty during 2020.
“The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is a critical, life-saving program that targets and serves the most vulnerable households, including older Americans, individuals with disabilities and families with young children. Many rely on fixed monthly incomes, meaning that their pay does not increase when the cost of heating and cooling their homes increases. LIHEAP recipients make heartbreaking choices every day between food, medicine or utilities,” according to a Washington state fact sheet.
The low-income Home Energy Assistance Program doesn’t require that households be behind on payments or be in danger of disconnection and bill payment assistance can be applied to future charges, Shah said.
There are two ways to apply for the program through Opportunity Council. The energy scheduling line, which can be reached at 360-255-2192, starts scheduling people on Monday, May 2. The line is available Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Shah said.
People can also go online to schedule an appointment and apply for the program.
Shah said the fall season is busy and appointments can be harder to come by, so she suggests people get set up in the spring or summer so they can be ready when the cooler weather and resulting high bills start to appear.
The Opportunity Council also offers other energy assistance options with other utilities and connections to weatherization services, Shah said.
This story was originally published April 28, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
