Families Could Lose Funds for Heating, Cooling, and Weatherization

June 16, 2025 — Press Release

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NCLC Advocates Provide Testimony to House and Senate Committees to Preserve Protections for Safe, Liveable Homes

WASHINGTON – Cash-strapped families and older adults living on fixed incomes are at risk of losing vital services to keep their homes safe from extreme weather if Congress strips vital funding from the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and Weatherization Assistance Programs (WAP). 

Experts with the National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) submitted written testimony to separate Congressional Committees urging support for these essential programs.

“LIHEAP is the cornerstone of federal and state efforts to ensure energy security by preventing energy disconnection and protecting the most vulnerable households, including seniors, veterans and families with young children from hypothermia in the winter and heat stress (even death) in the summer,” said Olivia Wein, senior attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. Established during the Reagan administration, “LIHEAP is a proven, results-driven program that works to bring fuel costs within a manageable range for vulnerable low-income seniors, individuals with disabilities, and families with young children,” Wein wrote in her testimony to the House Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health & Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies.

She recommended increased funding of $5.1 billion to help low-income families avoid choosing between paying their energy bills or buying medicine or food. 

Berneta Haynes, NCLC senior attorney, urged the Senate Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development to continue to support the Department of Energy’s WAP Program and related training and readiness funds, as well as the staff necessary to administer them. 

“For nearly 50 years, WAP has helped cash-strapped families save money on their energy bills,” Haynes said. “With rising utility costs and shutoffs due to nonpayment, WAP is more important than ever to protect vulnerable seniors, veterans, low-income families, and individuals with disabilities.”

WAP provides services in an average of 35,000 homes a year, making homes more comfortable and lowering annual energy costs by an average of $372 or more. The program serves as an essential resource for low-income families, who spend a disproportionate amount of their income on energy bills. Low-income households may spend about 14% of their annual income on energy bills, compared to 3% for higher income households. 

Additionally, the program supports over 8,500 jobs per year for home contractors and auditors, strengthening local economies.

To keep the vital program running, Haynes urged the committee to appropriate sufficient funds for the WAP core program ($375 million), WAP training and technical assistance ($15 million), and the Weatherization Readiness Fund ($52 million).

Related Resources

• Press Release: HHS Staff Cuts Imperil Energy Assistance Program for Older Adults and Vulnerable Families, April 3, 2025  
• Press Release: Advocates Express Strong Concern over Staffing for Vital Home Weatherization Program, May 5, 2025
• National Energy and Utility Affordability Coalition, LIHEAP Action Toolkit, 2025
• Report: Protecting Access to Essential Utility Service During Extreme Heat and Climate Change, July 16, 2024