August 7, 2020 – The annual National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition (NEUAC) virtual conference was held this week. The theme for this year’s conference was “United We Stand,” and had over 650 attendees. The conference was hosted virtually this year in recognition of the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 31, 2020 – An additional $1.5 billion has been appropriated for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in the Coronavirus Response 5 Additional Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2020. The funds are to remain available through September 30, 2021, as mentioned in the Act.

July 24, 2020 – Spire, a natural gas provider in Missouri, is expanding their eligibility requirements in order to be able to assist more customers with energy assistance. The expansion of requirements for eligibility include a change from 0% to 135% of the federal poverty guidelines to 136% to 185% of the federal poverty guidelines.

July 17, 2020 – The Ohio Development Services Agency is extending the length of the Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program this year, as well as expanding eligibility requirements. The changes have been made to accommodate circumstances due to the health crisis the nation is experiencing.

Last year, the Home Energy Assistance Summer Crisis Program assisted more than 270 families in need of crisis assistance. The assistance is applied to their utility bill or used to purchase fans or air conditioning units.

July 10, 2020 – The FY21 Labor-HHS appropriations bill, released by The House Appropriations Committee’s Subcommittee on Labor, Education and Related Agencies, reveals a proposal for funding for The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at $3,765,304,000. This proposal amount is $25 million more than the previous year.

July 3, 2020 –Wyoming has received additional funding from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act to aid low-income households in paying energy bills. Wyoming received a total of $2.4 million to help low-income families pay heating and energy bills amidst the circumstances of COVID-19.

June 26, 2020 – An update is available, provided by the National Energy Assistance Director’s Association (NEADA), on the status of utility moratorium shutoffs due to COVID-19. A summary of voluntary and state-ordered shutoffs is available on the NEADA web site.

June 19, 2020 – Ohio will begin providing crisis assistance to low-income households through the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) on July 1. The Ohio Summer Crisis Program assists eligible Ohioans pay for utility bills and air conditioning units and repairs.

June 12, 2020 – Utilities across the country had recently implemented utility moratoriums amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. Some states, such as Wisconsin, are ending those moratoriums at the end of July. The Public Service Commission of Wisconsin voted to lift the moratorium on disconnections for nonpayment during the COVID-19 pandemic.

June 1, 2020 – The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released two information memoranda regarding the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Income Guidelines. The guidelines are optional for implementation in FY20 and mandatory for implementation in FY21.