As Trump Drives Up Home Heating Costs, Reed Welcomes $23.5 Million in LIHEAP Aid to Help RIers Lower Their Utility Bills

PROVIDENCE, RI -- As families brace for cold weather and higher utility bills, over $3.6 billion in federal funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is being released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) this week following a bipartisan request led by U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). Senator Reed, a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a Congressional champion for LIHEAP, welcomed the release of the $23,574,007 in LIHEAP assistance for Rhode islanders. LIHEAP helps low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program can assist with a variety of home energy sources, including: electricity, oil, and gas. It also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives. Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year. “LIHEAP is a real lifesaver, especially for vulnerable families facing surging utility bills. This $23.5 million for Rhode Island will hopefully ease some financial stress for families that are already stretched thin and being hit by the Trump Administration’s higher fuel prices. It’s critical that we get this assistance out into the community to help families in need,” said Senator Reed, who led efforts to include over $4 billion for LIHEAP in the latest appropriation law. According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), home heating fuel costs are expected to rise as much as 50 percent this winter, with houses that use heating oil in line for the biggest price spikes. About a third of Rhode Island households use home heating oil, which gets delivered to their homes by trucks, according to the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources. And during cold winter months, a typical home relying on heating oil alone can use 100 gallons in just a few weeks. The current price for a gallon of diesel fuel - which is priced similarly to home heating fuel -- is $6.34 in Rhode Island. Last year, a gallon of diesel fuel averaged around $3.80. Last month, Reed, Collins, and Murkowski, along with 28 of their Senate colleagues urged the Trump Administration to release the LIHEAP funds as soon as possible and at the highest level possible to ensure the funding gets out into the community. “LIHEAP helps households in need manage their home heating expenses. This new infusion of federal LIHEAP aid will provide meaningful support to thousands of families and seniors across the state. It will help them cope with surging energy costs and ease the strain on household budgets. Releasing these LIHEAP funds also helps local small businesses that supply home heating fuel to customers with fixed or limited incomes,” said Senator Reed. LIHEAP is administered by states and accessed in Rhode Island through local Community Action Agencies . Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. In FY 2026, over 27,400 Rhode Island households received primary LIHEAP grants that averaged over $300 and over 3,200 Rhode Island households received additional crisis grants that averaged nearly $690 to cover home energy costs. The amount of money LIHEAP provides varies from year to year based on how many people in need apply, the cost of fuel, and the type of fuel. Rhode Islanders wishing to learn more about LIHEAP may click here to reach the Rhode Island Department of Human Services website to get information and links to an online application. Senator Reed noted that while the release of these federal funds to state agencies is good news, he remains deeply concerned about the Trump Administration decimating the LIHEAP staff and the impact it could have on the federal government’s ability to effectively manage the program and assist states with LIHEAP going forward. Reed says he has no doubt that President Trump will once again try to eliminate LIHEAP altogether but vowed to continue working on a bipartisan basis to include LIHEAP funding in future Appropriations laws.