What LIHEAP Cooling Assistance Is

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federal block grant program run by the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. While LIHEAP is best known for winter heating help, the statute explicitly authorizes states, territories, and tribes to use their LIHEAP allocation to deliver cooling assistance during hot-weather months.

Cooling assistance generally takes three forms:

Bill payment help applied directly to a household's summer electric bill.
Crisis or emergency cooling aid for households facing shut-off, already disconnected, or living without working air conditioning during a heat emergency.
Equipment help, including repair or replacement of central AC, window units, fans, or heat pumps through the program's weatherization or energy-related home repair component.

Because LIHEAP is a block grant, each grantee decides which of these services to offer, how generous the benefit is, and when the cooling season opens.

Who Is Eligible

Federal rules set the outer boundaries; states set the specifics. Under federal law, a household's income generally cannot exceed the greater of 150% of the federal poverty guidelines or 60% of the state median income, and cannot be set below 110% of the poverty guidelines. Households that receive SNAP, TANF, SSI, or certain needs-tested veterans' benefits are often categorically eligible.

States typically give priority to households that include:

Older adults (often age 60 or older).
Young children, especially under age 6.
Individuals with disabilities or serious medical conditions made worse by heat.
Households with the highest energy burden relative to income.

Renters and homeowners are both eligible. Households whose utility costs are included in rent can still qualify in many states, though the benefit structure may differ.

What Cooling Benefits Cover

Depending on the state plan, LIHEAP cooling funds can pay for:

Current or past-due summer electric bills.
Reconnection fees after a summer shut-off.
Purchase and installation of window air conditioners, portable units, or fans.
Repair or replacement of broken central air conditioning systems and heat pumps.
Health-and-safety-related weatherization such as attic insulation or duct sealing that reduces cooling load.

Benefit amounts vary widely. Some states issue a single fixed cooling credit to the utility, while others scale the award to household size, income, and actual energy burden.

How to Apply

LIHEAP is not administered directly by the federal government. Applications are handled at the state, tribal, or local level, usually through a state energy assistance office, a community action agency, or a contracted non-profit. To apply:

Find your local LIHEAP office through the national LIHEAP Clearinghouse or the ACF LIHEAP grantee directory.
Gather documentation: photo ID, Social Security numbers for household members, proof of income for the past 30 days, a recent utility bill, and proof of address.
Submit the application during your state's cooling intake window. Many states open cooling applications in late spring and keep them open until funds are exhausted.
If you are facing an imminent shut-off or heat-related medical emergency, ask specifically about crisis or emergency cooling benefits, which are processed on an expedited timeline.

Funding and Program Status

LIHEAP is funded annually through congressional appropriations. HHS releases funds to states, tribes, and territories based on a statutory formula, and each grantee files an annual State Plan describing how the money will be used, including any cooling set-aside. Supplemental funding has been provided in some years in response to extreme heat or energy price spikes.

Because the program is block-granted, funds can run out before the cooling season ends. Households that expect to need help are encouraged to apply early rather than wait until a crisis.

Other Programs That Work With LIHEAP

LIHEAP cooling help is often stacked with:

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), run by the U.S. Department of Energy, which can install insulation, seal ducts, and in some cases replace cooling equipment.
State-run Percentage of Income Payment Plans (PIPP) and utility hardship funds.
Local cooling-center and fan distribution programs operated by aging services networks and public health departments during declared heat emergencies.

Using these programs together can substantially lower summer energy bills and reduce the risk of heat-related illness, which is the core public-health purpose of LIHEAP cooling assistance.

Federal LIHEAP Cooling Assistance: How Low-Income Households Can Get Help With Summer Energy Bills