SEN. SLAP SUPPORTS $86 MILLION PLAN FOR LOW-INCOME ENERGY ASSISTANCE THIS WINTER

HARTFORD – State Senator Derek Slap (D-West Hartford) on Wednesday voted to approve an $86.2 million plan to provide energy assistance to low-income Connecticut families this winter.

That plan, however, is contingent on Congress approving federal funds this fall for the program, known as LIHEAP (Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program), because President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans eliminated all funding for LIHEAP in their 2025 federal budget.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program that is administered at the state level through local community action agencies, which advertise the program and process applications.

“Many households across Connecticut rely on LIHEAP to get them through the winter. Given increased home heating costs, this aid is more vital than ever,” said Sen. Slap, who serves on the Appropriations Committee.

The LIHEAP program helps about 94,300 Connecticut households every year, including 31,000 households with elderly members, 13,000 with disabilities, and 9,000 with children under the age of 6. It offers $355 to $705 in home heating oil, natural gas, and electricity heating assistance per household based on family size and income,

Home heating oil prices have increased 52% over the past year in Connecticut – from $3.17 per gallon in August 2025 to $4.83 per gallon today – following President Trump’s invasion of Iran on February 28, 2026.