Lawmakers seek more fuel assistance funding

BOSTON — Members of the state’s congressional delegation are leading a push for more federal fuel assistance funding to help low-income energy consumers this winter.

In a letter to legislative leaders, Reps. Lori Trahan and Jim McGovern call for another $1.6 billion in funding for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program through a government funding package.

Massachusetts is slated to receive more than $130 million for LIHEAP grants this winter. That includes more than $3.7 million in supplemental funding from the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investments and Jobs Act. That’s much lower than the previous winter, when the state received nearly $160 million.

The lawmakers said that money doesn’t go far enough to meet the anticipated demand from low-income energy users this winter.

“For the families who receive LIHEAP, it is a critical lifeline that prevents them from making the impossible choice between staying warm and having enough food or paying for their medications,” they wrote.

Under the LIHEAP program, homeowners who earn 60% of the state median income are eligible for assistance paying for fuel, electricity and weatherization upgrades.

Last year, an individual with income of $42,411 or less was eligible for assistance, while the maximum level for a family of four is $81,561 a year, according to the state Executive Office of Housing and Community Development.

LIHEAP grants are also available for individuals and households which have reported income ranging from 100% to 200% of the federal poverty level.

More than 134,000 low-income households in Massachusetts received assistance through the program in 2022, according to federal energy data.

Record-high inflation, supply-chain issues and Russia’s war in Ukraine have disrupted global energy markets, driving prices for home heating oil and natural gas higher over the past two years.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration said it expects households that heat with natural gas to see a slight decrease in costs this winter, but those who heat with oil will see slightly increased prices as global petroleum inventories are cut back.

“The conflict in the Middle East has also increased market uncertainty, and many energy market experts fear a rise in energy costs,” the lawmakers wrote. “These shifts disproportionately harm those who already struggle to pay their energy bills and underscore the need for robust funding for LIHEAP.”

Massachusetts is the third-largest consumer of home heating oil in the nation, with an estimated 700,000 homes using about 850 million gallons a year, according to industry figures.

Last year, more than $4.5 billion was distributed for LIHEAP programs across the country, including $100 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $1 billion in supplemental funding.

“Even so, LIHEAP remains an historically underfunded and oversubscribed program with only 20 percent of households who qualify receiving support,” the lawmakers wrote. “Without additional funding, LIHEAP will only run out sooner.”