What is LIHEAP? LIHEAP is the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program: a block grant that states use to pay part of a low-income household’s heating or cooling bill, usually straight to the utility or fuel dealer. You apply through your state or local agency, and in FY2025 it reached 14% of eligible households.
Key Takeaways
- FY2026 LIHEAP releases totaled $4,130,596,037, including $100 million from the infrastructure law (LIHEAP Clearinghouse).
- The first FY2027 release, $3,631,860,000, went out October 9, 2026 (LIHEAP Clearinghouse).
- The FY2027 budget proposes ending LIHEAP, a $4 billion cut, for the sixth time (FY2027 Budget, HHS chapter).
- The average FY2025 heating benefit was $396 across 4,808,087 households (ACF).
- Average heating benefits ran from $140 in Michigan and Arkansas to $1,554 in Alaska in FY2025 (ACF state profiles).
- The income ceiling is the greater of 150% of poverty or 60% of state median income; 150% of the 2026 guideline for four is $49,500 (42 U.S.C. 8624; HHS).
What is LIHEAP and where does the money go?
LIHEAP is a federal block grant, run by the HHS Office of Community Services, that funds all 50 states, DC, five territories and about 150 tribes (ACF fact sheet). Households apply to the state, tribal or local agency, never to Washington.
Under 42 U.S.C. 8624, a state may spend no more than 10 percent of its grant on administration and up to 15 percent on weatherization or energy-related home repair, or 25 percent with a waiver. That money sits beside the separate DOE weatherization program.
Benefits are usually vendored. Pennsylvania’s grant “is a one-time payment sent directly to the utility company/fuel provider,” from $200 to $1,000 (Pennsylvania DHS).
How much LIHEAP funding is there for 2026 and 2027?
FY2026 LIHEAP releases totaled $4,130,596,037, and FY2027 money is flowing under a stopgap: $3,631,860,000 on October 9, 2026. Figures come from the LIHEAP Clearinghouse funding ledger.
| Fiscal year | Total LIHEAP budget released | Main law or event |
|---|---|---|
| FY2021 | $8,209,300,960 | Includes $4.5 billion from the American Rescue Plan |
| FY2022 | $3,876,220,260 | Includes $100 million IIJA tranche |
| FY2023 | $6,090,400,000 | Includes $1 billion supplemental funding |
| FY2024 | $4,115,400,000 | Final release June 26, 2024 |
| FY2025 | $4,115,508,197 | Final release May 1, 2025 |
| FY2026 | $4,130,596,037 | Final $421,540,067 released Apr 17, 2026 |
| FY2027 (to date) | $3,631,860,000 | 90% of the CR level, released Oct 9, 2026 |
A continuing resolution signed November 12, 2025 carried the first FY2026 release; full-year appropriations (P.L. 119-75), signed February 3, 2026, set LIHEAP at $4.045 billion, a $20 million increase, according to the Congressional Research Service. The FY2027 stopgap, P.L. 119-103, was signed September 2, 2026. With heating oil forecast up sharply this winter, the final FY2027 figure matters.
How many households does LIHEAP serve, and for how much?
State LIHEAP programs served 5,703,340 households in FY2025, 14% of the 38.2 million income-eligible (ACF FY2025 National Profile). Of $4.24 billion available, $1,905,789,762 (45%) went to heating, $872,567,896 (21%) to crisis aid and $439,557,020 (11%) to cooling.
| Type of assistance, FY2025 | States offering it | Households served | Average benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heating | 50 | 4,808,087 | $396 |
| Cooling | 23 | 778,826 | $564 |
| Winter crisis | 25 | 683,244 | $736 |
| Year-round crisis | 28 | 516,312 | $519 |
| Summer crisis | 6 | 113,222 | $197 |
| Weatherization | 49 | 45,154 | Not stated |
Set the $396 heating benefit against the typical annual heating bill by fuel and it covers part of a winter, not all of it. Cooling help is offered by only 23 states, though summer air conditioning bills hit the same households.
In FY2025, 71% of served households had an older adult (44%), a member with a disability (37%) or a young child (16%), the groups the statute targets. For who goes without working equipment, see our household energy insecurity data.
LIHEAP by state: allocations, households served and average benefits
New York received the largest FY2026 LIHEAP allocation, $401,241,711, and served 1,159,724 households in FY2025, about one in five nationally. The table joins the ACF FY2026 final allocation table with each state’s FY2025 grantee profile.
| State | FY2026 allocation | Households served, FY2025 | Share of eligible served | Average heating benefit, FY2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $58,667,004 | 69,435 | 14% | $415 |
| Alaska | $12,158,576 | 4,464 | 9% | $1,554 |
| Arizona | $35,474,431 | 32,301 | 5% | $560 |
| Arkansas | $35,109,772 | 48,362 | 15% | $140 |
| California | $242,108,452 | 146,843 | 4% | $541 |
| Colorado | $55,507,474 | 88,580 | 16% | $564 |
| Connecticut | $90,222,435 | 87,149 | 21% | $490 |
| Delaware | $13,955,416 | 10,547 | 11% | $801 |
| District of Columbia | $12,655,521 | 10,717 | 11% | $874 |
| Florida | $121,578,634 | 207,764 | 10% | $969 |
| Georgia | $96,141,634 | 113,672 | 11% | $483 |
| Hawaii | $8,596,051 | Not reported | Not reported | Not reported |
| Idaho | $23,183,784 | 32,687 | 23% | $410 |
| Illinois | $199,837,523 | 255,994 | 21% | $488 |
| Indiana | $87,120,620 | 114,594 | 17% | $289 |
| Iowa | $58,805,299 | 73,172 | 23% | $495 |
| Kansas | $38,635,084 | 44,395 | 22% | $617 |
| Kentucky | $56,497,880 | 109,786 | 25% | $159 |
| Louisiana | $56,959,058 | 67,767 | 12% | $471 |
| Maine | $42,697,525 | 37,250 | 23% | $519 |
| Maryland | $84,754,189 | 137,840 | 30% | $446 |
| Massachusetts | $163,276,528 | 159,821 | 19% | $903 |
| Michigan | $183,316,283 | 334,399 | 43% | $140 |
| Minnesota | $125,349,065 | 125,942 | 25% | $543 |
| Mississippi | $36,723,579 | 42,504 | 13% | $529 |
| Missouri | $92,429,331 | 125,675 | 19% | $319 |
| Montana | $23,583,999 | 15,108 | 13% | $890 |
| Nebraska | $35,774,584 | 39,447 | 30% | $475 |
| Nevada | $17,455,286 | 18,866 | 9% | $699 |
| New Hampshire | $33,348,323 | 28,556 | 20% | $1,045 |
| New Jersey | $134,638,747 | 279,119 | 27% | $378 |
| New Mexico | $20,080,797 | 49,473 | 24% | $277 |
| New York | $401,241,711 | 1,159,724 | 50% | $593 |
| North Carolina | $105,102,928 | 162,670 | 23% | $426 |
| North Dakota | $23,595,315 | 16,601 | 18% | $1,011 |
| Ohio | $181,249,518 | 261,341 | 23% | $182 |
| Oklahoma | $40,969,043 | 66,813 | 23% | $307 |
| Oregon | $40,482,105 | 52,784 | 12% | $443 |
| Pennsylvania | $232,495,503 | 293,411 | 31% | $291 |
| Rhode Island | $26,792,128 | 27,916 | 24% | $429 |
| South Carolina | $49,367,067 | 47,616 | 9% | No heating component (crisis program) |
| South Dakota | $21,279,081 | 23,918 | 28% | $640 |
| Tennessee | $69,833,695 | 106,671 | 15% | $746 |
| Texas | $202,298,015 | 71,847 | 3% | $507 |
| Utah | $28,623,011 | 22,935 | 16% | $508 |
| Vermont | $23,126,077 | 22,883 | 32% | $700 |
| Virginia | $103,925,790 | 126,299 | 25% | $419 |
| Washington | $61,537,386 | 81,440 | 19% | $585 |
| West Virginia | $35,169,635 | 47,058 | 22% | $253 |
| Wisconsin | $112,832,158 | 182,565 | 28% | $469 |
| Wyoming | $11,058,068 | 8,317 | 13% | $650 |
FY2026 allocation sums the CR, IIJA and final releases. FY2025 profile data are current as of March 15, 2026 (Maryland June 1). Alaska’s share excludes tribal grantees. Hawaii has no FY2025 profile.
States choose between breadth and depth. Michigan reached 43% of eligible households with a $140 average heating benefit; Alaska paid $1,554 and reached 9%. Texas spent 80% of its funds on cooling and reached 3%. New Hampshire ($1,045) and Massachusetts ($903) sit near the top; for oil-heated homes, the per-gallon price sets how far that goes.
Who qualifies for LIHEAP? The income ceiling, worked out
You qualify for LIHEAP if someone in the household receives SNAP, SSI, TANF or certain veterans’ benefits, or if income is within your state’s limit. Under 42 U.S.C. 8624(b)(2), that limit cannot exceed the greater of 150 percent of poverty or 60 percent of state median income, and cannot shut out households below 110 percent of poverty.
Common misstatement
Many explainers say the cap is “150% of poverty or 60% of state median income.” The statute says the greater of the two, so a household above 150% of poverty can still fall under the federal ceiling. FY2025 state heating limits ranged from 110% to 355% of the poverty guidelines.
- Take the 2026 HHS poverty guideline for your household size: $33,000 for four people in the 48 contiguous states and DC (HHS ASPE).
- Multiply by 1.5: 150 percent of $33,000 is $49,500.
- Look up 60 percent of state median income in the ACF table: $75,404 for a four-person Pennsylvania household in FY2026.
- The federal ceiling is the larger number, $75,404. The state may set its limit anywhere from 110 percent of poverty up to it.
Pennsylvania chose the lower line: its 2026-2027 limit for four is $49,500, exactly 150 percent of the 2026 guideline. Your state’s limit, not the federal ceiling, decides your application.
How do you apply for LIHEAP?
You apply for LIHEAP through your state, tribal or local intake agency, often a community action agency. The national hotline, 1-866-674-6327, and the LIHEAP office search tool will route you.
- Find your agency in the search tool or call the hotline (staffed weekdays 10:00am to 6:00pm ET).
- Check the season dates. Pennsylvania’s 2026-2027 season is scheduled to open November 2, 2026; other states differ.
- Gather proof of household income, a recent utility or fuel bill, and any SNAP, SSI or TANF letters.
- Apply early; funding is finite.
- If your heat is off, fuel is nearly out or the furnace has failed, ask for crisis assistance.
Crisis aid runs on a federal clock. Under 42 U.S.C. 8623(c), an eligible household must get help that resolves the crisis within 48 hours, or 18 hours if life-threatening, and states must reserve crisis funds until March 15. Pennsylvania counts “broken heating equipment or leaking lines that must be fixed or replaced” as an emergency, so crisis money can go toward a no-heat repair call.
The average winter crisis benefit was $736 in FY2025. If the furnace needs replacing, compare that with federal estimates for a new furnace and ask whether the agency’s repair set-aside can add to it.
Is LIHEAP being eliminated in 2027?
The White House has proposed it; Congress has not done it. The FY2027 budget lists LIHEAP under “Program Cuts and Eliminations” at minus $4 billion: “For the sixth time, the Budget proposes to end this program” (FY2027 Budget). The FY2026 request was also zero; Congress enacted $4.045 billion (CRS).
On April 1, 2025, every staffer in the HHS Division of Energy Assistance, which runs LIHEAP, was laid off, according to two of those employees interviewed by NPR. Funds still went out, though the final FY2026 release did not come until April 17, 2026.
How we researched this
Research date: October 30, 2026. We consulted 26 sources and cited 14. Funding comes from the LIHEAP Clearinghouse ledger (updated October 21, 2026) and the ACF FY2026 final allocation table; appropriation and request amounts from CRS report R48970 and the FY2027 Budget. Household and benefit figures come from 51 ACF FY2025 grantee profiles, which ACF labels preliminary. Eligibility rules were read in the statute, not summaries. Freshness: 10 cited sources are dated 2026, 2 date from 2024 or 2025, and 2 are statute. Excluded: SEO “LIHEAP 2026” blogs and calculators (unsourced limits), a news figure of $4.015 billion for the FY2026 CR that conflicts with ACF and CRS, and FY2022 averages superseded by FY2025 data. Next update: after the FY2027 full-year appropriation.
Frequently asked questions
Is LIHEAP a loan that has to be paid back?
No. LIHEAP is a grant. Pennsylvania describes its benefit as a one-time payment sent directly to the utility company or fuel provider, from $200 to $1,000 depending on household size, income and fuel type, and says it does not have to be repaid. Other states set their own amounts.
Does LIHEAP count as income for SNAP or taxes?
No. Under 42 U.S.C. 8624(f), LIHEAP payments made to you or on your behalf are not counted as income or resources under any federal or state law, including tax, SNAP and public assistance rules. For SNAP, a payment above $20 a year is treated as money spent on heating or cooling.
Can LIHEAP pay to repair or replace a furnace?
Sometimes. A state may spend up to 15 percent of its LIHEAP grant, or 25 percent with a waiver, on weatherization and energy-related home repair. Some states also cover heating repairs through crisis aid; Pennsylvania lists broken heating equipment as a qualifying emergency. The average FY2025 winter crisis benefit was $736.
Can renters get LIHEAP?
Yes, if they meet the income test and pay for heat or cooling. Federal law says subsidized tenants who pay some or all heating or cooling costs shall not be automatically denied, though a state may reduce the benefit to reflect a utility allowance. For what a landlord must supply, see our guide to minimum indoor heat rules by state.
How fast does LIHEAP crisis help arrive?
Within 48 hours of applying for an eligible household in an energy crisis, and within 18 hours if the situation is life-threatening, under 42 U.S.C. 8623(c). The clock covers some form of assistance that resolves the crisis, not necessarily the full benefit. States must reserve crisis funds until March 15.
Does LIHEAP help with air conditioning bills?
In some states. In FY2025, 23 states offered cooling assistance, serving 778,826 households with an average benefit of $564, and 6 states ran summer crisis programs averaging $197, according to the ACF FY2025 National Profile. Texas put 80% of its LIHEAP money into cooling.
What is the LIHEAP phone number?
The national Energy Assistance Hotline listed by the LIHEAP Clearinghouse is 1-866-674-6327, with representatives available weekdays from 10:00am to 6:00pm Eastern. It is a referral line that points callers to their state, tribal or local LIHEAP office; you can also email energyassistance@ncat.org with your city, county and state.
Sources
- HHS ACF. “LIHEAP FY2025 National Profile (All States).” https://liheappm.acf.gov/sites/default/files/private/congress/profiles/2025/FY%202025%20AllStates(National)%20Profile.pdf. Accessed October 2026.
- HHS ACF. “LIHEAP Grant Recipient Profiles, FY2025.” https://liheappm.acf.gov/node/824. Accessed October 2026.
- HHS ACF. “FY26 Final Release Allocations, States and Territories.” https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocs/Final-Table_FY26-Final-Release_States_02.2026.pdf. Accessed October 2026.
- LIHEAP Clearinghouse. “LIHEAP Funding for States and Territories.” https://liheapch.ncat.org/node/62. Accessed October 2026.
- Congressional Research Service. “LHHS FY2026 Appropriations (R48970).” https://www.congress.gov/crs_external_products/R/PDF/R48970/R48970.5.pdf. Accessed October 2026.
- Office of Management and Budget. “Budget of the U.S. Government, Fiscal Year 2027: Department of Health and Human Services.” https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BUDGET-2027-BUD/pdf/BUDGET-2027-BUD-9.pdf. Accessed October 2026.
- Legal Information Institute. “42 U.S. Code 8624, Applications and requirements.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/8624. Accessed October 2026.
- Legal Information Institute. “42 U.S. Code 8623, Allotments of funds.” https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/42/8623. Accessed October 2026.
- HHS ASPE. “Poverty Guidelines (2026).” https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines. Accessed October 2026.
- HHS ACF. “State Median Income for LIHEAP, FY26 (IM2025-02 Att. 4).” https://acf.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ocs/COMM_LIHEAP_IM2025-02_SMIStateTable_Att4.pdf. Accessed October 2026.
- Pennsylvania Department of Human Services. “Apply for Home Heating and Energy Assistance (LIHEAP).” https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dhs/resources/liheap. Accessed October 2026.
- LIHEAP Clearinghouse. “Need Help With Your Energy Bills?” https://liheapch.acf.gov/search-tool/. Accessed October 2026.
- HHS ACF. “LIHEAP Fact Sheet.” https://acf.gov/ocs/fact-sheet/liheap-fact-sheet. Accessed October 2026.
- NPR. “Aging, disability and poverty-fighting agencies gutted amid HHS layoffs.” April 1, 2025. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/04/01/g-s1-57716/hhs-layoffs-seniors-disabled-liheap-acl. Accessed October 2026.
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