Durbin, Duckworth Announce Additional $51.8 Million In Federal Funding To Help Illinois Families Save On Home Energy Bills
SPRINGFIELD – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today announced an additional $51,817,305 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) to help Illinoisans pay the rising cost of home heating bills this winter. This additional funding brings the total amount of LIHEAP funds released to Illinois in Fiscal Year 2023 to $259,987,786. For more than 40 years, LIHEAP has helped low-income individuals and families maintain healthy indoor temperatures during the coldest months of the year.
“In the midst of rising costs, the last thing Illinois residents should have to worry about is how they’re going to pay their utility bills — especially in the colder months,” said Durbin. “This federal investment gives families across our state some much-needed financial relief, and I’ll continue advocating for the immediate release of these funds.”
“Illinois families shouldn’t have to worry about whether or not they can afford to pay their utility bills,” said Duckworth. “I'm proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this federal support to help more working families keep their heat on and necessary utilities paid.”
Today’s announcement includes funding appropriated by Congress to address rising energy costs, as well as funding appropriated for Fiscal Year 2023 from the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, which Durbin and Duckworth both supported.
Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance can visit energyhelp.us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline toll-free at: 1-866-674-6327.
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