National Groups Document Record Number of LIHEAP Applicants, Increased Energy Burdens

The National Energy Assistance Directors' Association (NEADA) has released a winter heating survey with preliminary estimates showing that requests for energy assistance are expected to exceed five million households this winter, the highest number in the last 10 years.

According to Mark Wolfe, Executive Director of NEADA, these are preliminary numbers based on a comparison of applications received last year at this time and represent an increase of more than 250,000 families over last year at this time and an increase of about 850,000 families in the last three years.

States with projected increases of at least 7 percent as compared to last year include: Alabama 8.3 percent, Arkansas 7 percent, District of Columbia 7.3 percent, Florida 44.7 percent, Kansas 19.8 percent, Maine 15.7 percent, Massachusetts 7 percent, Montana 14.7 percent, Nevada 50 percent, New Hampshire 17.8 percent, New Jersey 9.6 percent, New Mexico 10.6 percent, North Carolina 16.6 percent, Oklahoma 8.7 percent, Oregon 8 percent, Texas 25.6 percent, Utah 14 percent, Wisconsin 10 percent, West Virginia 8 percent and Wyoming 15.6 percent.

Wolfe stated that the increase in applications reflects the impact of rising energy prices and that the number of applications is likely to increase as the winter progresses and families have difficulties in paying their home energy bills. Many state directors are concerned that these numbers could be conservative and could grow even faster as the winter heating season progresses, he said.

For more information, visit the NEADA website, or contact Wolfe at 202-237-5199.

Another national organization, Economic Opportunity Studies, has released a study " The Energy Bills Low-Income Consumers Face in FY 2005, the Resources Available to Help Them Pay, and the Impact on Their Household Budgets ," which takes Energy Information Administration energy price projections and estimates not only heating bills, but year-round low-income residential energy bills for 2005. It shows that households below 150 percent of federal poverty guidelines will spend an average of $1,470 for all their energy bills and will have to use nearly 19 percent of their income to do so. It shows that, even if all LIHEAP emergency funds are released, LIHEAP will cover a smaller part of household energy expenditures than it did just five years ago. It also documents the growing value of the energy savings achieved by the Weatherization Assistance Program.

For more information, contact megpower@oppportunitystudies.org

Source: NEADA, Economic Opportunity Studies

Page Last Updated: April 21, 2008