States are using their share of the $4.5 billion in additional funds provided by the American Rescue Plan for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to pay off utility debt, increase average benefits and pay for emergency furnace repair and replacement. The following provides a summary of those actions for selected states:
- California: Increased the maximum crisis benefit levels from $1,000 to $3,000.
- Colorado: Paying off outstanding utility debts, as well as providing additional funds to repair and replace furnaces.
- Connecticut: Providing supplemental payments of up to $4,815 to pay delivered fuel bills, and increased benefit levels to help pay off outstanding utility bills.
- District of Columbia: Increasing their maximum crises benefit levels from $650 to $750 and is prioritizing payments to help prevent utility shut-offs.
- Florida: Increasing their maximum crisis benefits to $5,000 to help prevent utility shut-offs and raising regular grant levels to increase payment affordability.
- Michigan: Increasing their maximum household benefit for deliverable fuels from $1,200 to $1,500 and the maximum benefit for all other heating sources and electricity increased from $850 to $1,150.
- Minnesota: Increasing their maximum crisis benefit from $600 to $1,200 and their maximum regular heating benefit from $1,400 to $2,000.
- Pennsylvania: Increasing their maximum grant from $1,000 to $1,500.
- South Carolina: Increased their maximum heating grant from $750 to $850 and increased their maximum cooling grant from $675 to $775.
- Virginia: More than doubled their maximum grant to $1,282 for fuel grants and $999 for crisis payments.
- Wisconsin: Paying off arrearages up to $10,000.