The Trump administration is distributing the entire allocation of money to help low-income residents with their heating and cooling bills.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on Friday released $3.7 billion from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP. All told, the program is expected to help about 6.5 million households this year.
Mark Wolfe, from the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association, said it’s the first time the money was released in its entirety instead of installments since 2009. He said the money will help states get heating assistance programs underway as temperatures dip.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says the cost of staying warm this winter is expected to grow for the average American with the greatest increase, 20 percent, for heating oil users.
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