LIHEAP DCL 2022-06 National Energy Assistance Day FY2022

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

Dear Colleague Letter

DCL#:  LIHEAP-DCL-2022-06 

DATE:  January 31, 2022

TO:  Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Grant Recipients

SUBJECT:  National Energy Assistance Day

ATTACHMENT(S):  N/A

Tomorrow, February 1, 2022, is National Energy Assistance Day Visit disclaimer page; this observance is intended to raise awareness about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) and other state and local energy assistance programs. It is also a day to encourage eligible households with unmet energy needs to apply for assistance. The Office of Community Services (OCS) thanks our colleagues at the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association (NEADA) for spearheading this inaugural event.

The inaugural National Energy Assistance Day follows on the heels of a critical and unique time for LIHEAP. Amidst the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency, LIHEAP has been and remains more important than ever for people struggling with their utility bills.

This week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through the Administration for Children and Family’s Office of Community Services released $100 million in additional LIHEAP funding from President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to help families pay their outstanding heating and cooling bills. This funding comes on top of a nearly $8 billion investment in LIHEAP through the American Rescue Plan Act and the FY 2022 Continuing Resolution. With the historic level of funding LIHEAP has received, along with the funding available through the U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program Visit disclaimer page and the momentous investment in Department of Energy Weatherization Assistance Program Visit disclaimer page, we have an opportunity for LIHEAP recipients to reach and maintain a consistent level of home heating and cooling services including providing the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) phone number (1-866-674-6321) and website energyhelp.us Visit disclaimer page.

OCS and the entire Biden-Harris Administration is committed to ensuring that these historic resources are used effectively and efficiently to meet the home energy needs of households this winter and beyond.

We write today not only to encourage you to continue to maximize all of the energy assistance resources available to you, but to also ask you to join us in observing National Energy Assistance Day.

Federal Action

This week, OCS will take the following steps to observe National Energy Assistance Day:

• OCS is running a national Audio News Release (ANR) today and tomorrow which will encourage  households in need to apply for LIHEAP assistance. This radio ad will air over 2,000 times and reach an estimated 36 million listeners. Our message will air in both English and Spanish. We will circulate the ANR recording when available by email to grant recipients and encourage you to promote it across your platforms as well.
• OCS will share social media posts today and tomorrow and we encourage grant recipients to utilize NEADA’s Social Media Toolkit Visit disclaimer page and their hashtags (#NationalEnergyAssistanceDay and #KeepTheHeatOn).
• Today at 1:30pm EST, OCS and the Treasury Department hosted a webinar on how LIHEAP, Low Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP), and ERA grant recipients can coordinate with utility providers to maximize the reach of utility assistance programs. OCS will post the slides to our website shortly.

OCS has also shared the National Energy Assistance Day call to action with our colleagues at the White House and with the Emergency Rental Assistance program at the Treasury Department; both the Treasury and the White House will be conducting outreach to their stakeholders and promoting the observance as well.

As we prepare to bring awareness to the importance of energy assistance, we thank you for all you have done and continue to do on behalf of LIHEAP households across the country. We could not do this critical work without you and we are grateful for your continued partnership. And, as always, OCS welcomes our grant recipients’ thoughts on our collective efforts to improve this program for the households we serve.  Lastly, if you are also celebrating National Energy Assistance Day, please share the details with your assigned federal LIHEAP liaison. We want to hear how you are honoring this important day!

Thank you again for all you are doing to keep the heat on for families this and every winter.

Thank you for your attention to these matters. OCS looks forward to continuing to provide high-quality services to OCS grantees.