The American Rescue Plan more than doubled LIHEAP funding.
FILE - In this Jan. 2, 2008, file photo, heating oil is delivered to a home in Barre, Vt. WASHINGTON, D. C. -- Ohio is getting $367.4 million in home energy assistance money from the federal government this winter to help families struggling with the cost of home heating pay their bills, the White House announced on Friday.
In addition to the $140.5 million the state usually gets for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program , it is getting an extra $226.9 million from the American Rescue Plan adopted last year. According to the office of U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, an Ohio Democrat, during the 2020-2021 winter, more than 270,000 Ohio homes used LIHEAP to help cover their home energy costs.
“As temperatures go from one extreme to the other, we must make sure Ohio families are able to keep their homes warm this winter,” said a statement from Brown. “Ohioans shouldn’t have to choose between keeping warm or putting food on the table. LIHEAP is a lifeline for thousands of Ohio families who struggle during the winter months.”