Rep. Carbajal Encourages Central Coast Families to Utilize New $20 Million in Federal Funds to Lower Energy Costs

New federal funds administered last week add to more than $407 million made available to Californians to cut home energy costs over the past year

Washington, April 27, 2022

Today, Congressman Salud Carbajal highlighted another $20,649,415 in federal funds available to bring down heating and cooling costs for California’s working families and encouraged Central Coast residents to utilize the funds if they are in need.

The new funding, administered last week through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), was approved by Carbajal as part of the 2022 funding agreement signed into law in March.

“I know many Central Coast families have been struggling to deal with rising energy prices–and that’s why I’ve fought to increase funding for programs that help cut costs and ensure California homes are ready to withstand the increasingly harsh effects of climate change,” said Rep. Carbajal. “This additional $20 million for California that I helped get signed into law builds on more than $400 million that I’ve secured to help lower energy costs on the Central Coast. No family should have to choose between heating or cooling their home and putting food on the table. I encourage all who are struggling to check their eligibility and reach out to their local LIHEAP team.”

The LIHEAP funds will be used to cut Californians’ energy bills, provide crisis assistance and help weatherize homes to protect against the effects of climate change.

California residents can learn more about LIHEAP, assess their eligibility, and find their local resources here. Californians can also call 2-1-1 to find more information.

More information about LIHEAP can be found here.

Más información sobre LIHEAP en español está aquí.

Background:

The funding announced last week by HHS represents the fourth round of LIHEAP assistance administered over the past year. In total, Rep. Carbajal and Congressional Democrats have secured $407,656,109 for California households since May of 2021.

Previous Rounds were delivered through: 

  • the American Rescue Plan: $203,610,805
  • the 2021 Continuing Resolution: $179,228,041
  • the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law: $4,177,848

Last year, Rep. Carbajal was part of a bipartisan effort to increase LIHEAP funding in the 2022 federal budget to allow the program to keep up with the rising costs of energy.

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