By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance

RMI's analysis of historical data reveals that the US federal government grossly underfunds the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), with funding needing to increase 10 to 20 times above 2021 levels to cover all eligible families. Significant gaps in service exist, particularly in California and Texas, driven by both funding shortages and barriers to access such as lack of awareness and complex application procedures. While recent legislation like the Inflation Reduction Act provides targeted funds for weatherization and efficiency, RMI argues for a comprehensive approach that centers community-based organizations to resolve underlying energy justice issues.

• Low-income families in the United States spend an average of three times more of their annual income on energy costs compared to non-low income families.
• Current federal funding for LIHEAP is insufficient; to cover the energy costs of all eligible low-income families, funding would need to increase by 10 to 20 times the levels seen in 2021.
• Many eligible families do not access LIHEAP funds due to language barriers, lack of awareness, confusion over rules, and fears regarding immigration status or the requirement to repay funds.
• California and Texas had the highest absolute numbers of unserved LIHEAP-eligible families in 2021, with 3.27 million and 2.44 million families respectively.
• Recent federal laws, including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act, have allocated specific funding for energy poverty, including $3.5 billion for the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), $3.16 billion for residential energy retrofitting, and $550 million for the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Program.

APA

RMI (2022). By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance. https://rmi.org/resources/by-the-numbers-low-income-energy-assistance/

Chicago

RMI. By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance. 2022. https://rmi.org/resources/by-the-numbers-low-income-energy-assistance/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=RMI |title=By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance |date=22 August 2022 |url=https://rmi.org/resources/by-the-numbers-low-income-energy-assistance/ |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{rmi2022numbers, author = {{RMI}}, title = {{By the Numbers: Low-Income Energy Assistance}}, institution = {RMI}, year = {2022}, month = aug, url = {https://rmi.org/resources/by-the-numbers-low-income-energy-assistance/}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }