As we head into summer, temperatures are not the only thing that tend to rise. Many people often see an increase in their utility bills, due to the cost of cooling their homes. Benefits.gov offers energy assistance resources in its Housing and Public Utilities category to help citizens reduce their cooling costs and make their homes more energy efficient.
Below are just a few of the benefit programs that could help reduce your home energy costs.
Low Income Home Energy Assistance
The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) offers financial assistance to low-income households for heating and cooling energy costs, bill payment, energy-related home repairs, and more. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) provides grant funding for the program, which is administered at the state and tribal level. To learn more about eligibility and how to apply, visit our Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program Page or contact your LIHEAP State of Tribal Office.
Energy Efficient Mortgage Insurance
The Energy Efficient Mortgage Insurance program assists homebuyers and homeowners by helping them get loans to cover the cost of adding energy saving features to new or existing housing. To learn more about this benefit program, visit our Energy Efficient Mortgage Insurance Program Page or visit the program's administering agency, the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
Weatherization Assistance Program for Low-Income Persons
The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) for Low-Income Persons aids low-income families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient. WAP provides funding to install insulation, seal leaks and conduct other home energy updates in order to improve housing energy performance and decrease the cost reflected in energy bills. The U.S. Department of Energy awards grants to states, U.S. territories and Native American Tribal governments who administer WAP. To learn more, visit our Weatherization Assistance Program Page or contact your State Weatherization Agency.
In addition to exploring the resources above, we encourage you to complete our Benefit Finder questionnaire to determine your eligibility for other benefit programs housed on Benefits.gov.