WASHINGTON – Today, Representative Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Senator Edward J. Markey introduced the Heating and Cooling Relief Act, bold legislation to significantly expand and modernize the severely underfunded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The bill would ensure year-round access to affordable and reliable heating and cooling for lower-income households who experience disproportionately high energy burdens.
Despite the urgent need for relief, in 2023, only about 18 percent of income-eligible households received LIHEAP assistance, with less than three percent of eligible households receiving cooling assistance. Meanwhile, low-income families spend nearly three times more on energy bills than non-low-income households, and nearly one in six households are behind on their utility bills. The Heating and Cooling Relief Act would deliver critical energy assistance to millions more households, protecting families from utility shutoffs and empowering states to address the growing threat of climate-fueled extreme heat and cold.
“No one should have to make sacrifices around paying for food, rent, or essential medication to keep air conditioning on in the summer and heat on in the winter,” said Rep. Yassamin Ansari. “In Arizona, this is a matter of life or death. Last year, over 600 people died from extreme heat, and Phoenix already broke our own record for the first 99-degree day of the year. Our Heating and Cooling Relief Act will expand LIHEAP so that every family can afford their energy bills–in Maricopa County, this will literally save lives.”
“No one should have to choose between turning the heat on in the winter and putting food on the table, but that’s a sacrifice more and more families are forced to make, especially as the climate crisis exacerbates weather extremes,” said Senator Markey. “My Heating and Cooling Relief Act would significantly expand LIHEAP so that energy assistance is available to all those who need it. My bill also protects consumers from predatory practices and utility shutoffs, and boosts emergency energy assistance and access to life-saving cooling relief. I will keep fighting to ensure that every household can afford the energy they need to stay healthy and safe—and to support a just transition away from fossil fuels.”
Specifically, the Heating and Cooling Relief Act would:
- Substantially increase LIHEAP funding to ensure year-round assistance, including an additional $2 billion for emergency energy assistance and $1 billion in Just Transition Grants to help vulnerable households adapt to a changing climate;
- Broaden eligibility so that households earning up to 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Line or 80 percent of State Median Income can qualify, while ensuring lower energy burdens for lower-income households and capping household energy burdens at three percent of monthly income;
- Protect consumers from utility shutoffs, excessive late fees, and predatory energy practices that disproportionately impact vulnerable communities;
- Expand emergency assistance, ensuring extreme heat and cold are recognized as qualifying emergencies and that states can provide vital cooling relief;
- Increase funding for weatherization and home electrification, to help low-income households reduce energy costs, improve health and safety, and transition to clean, resilient energy systems;
- Streamline enrollment and outreach, improving coordination with other federal programs and increasing access through automatic enrollment and simplified verification; and
- Strengthen reporting requirements to better track affordability, equity, and climate resilience outcomes.
The Heating and Cooling Relief Act is cosponsored by Senators Blumenthal, Blunt Rochester, Booker, Gillibrand, Padilla, Sanders, Van Hollen, Warren, Whitehouse, and Wyden, and Representatives Barragán (CA-44), Bell (MO-01), Carson (IN-07), Carter (LA-02), Castor (FL-14), Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Cleaver (MO-05), Cohen (TN-09), Crockett (TX-30), Davis (IL-07), DeGette (CO-01), Doggett (TX-37), Evans (PA-03), Fields (LA-06), Huffman (CA-02), Johnson (GA-04), Khanna (CA-17), Lee (PA-12), McIver (NJ-10), Meng (NY-06), Moore (WI-04), Mullin (CA-15), Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Omar (MN-05), Pettersen (CO-07), Ramirez (IL-03), Sánchez (CA-38), Schakowsky (IL-09), Smith (WA-09), Thanedar (MI-13), Thompson (MS-02), Titus (NV-01), Tlaib (MI-12), Watson Coleman (NJ-12).
SUPPORT FOR THE LEGISLATION
"Arizona Sustainability Alliance (AZSA) strongly supports the Heating and Cooling Relief Act of 2025. This forward-thinking legislation not only addresses the urgent need to reduce energy burdens for vulnerable communities but also represents a critical investment in climate resilience and environmental justice. As Arizona continues to face rising temperatures and increasingly extreme heat, the need for equitable access to clean, reliable, and affordable cooling is more urgent than ever.
“This bill’s emphasis on renewable energy-powered home cooling, weatherization, and infrastructure upgrades speaks directly to AZSA's mission to advance sustainable systems that serve both people and the planet. Importantly, the Just Transition Grants and expanded funding mechanisms create meaningful opportunities to grow Arizona's green workforce—ensuring local residents, including youth and underserved communities, have pathways into clean energy careers that strengthen our state's economy while building climate resilience.
“AZSA applauds Representative Ansari for her leadership on this issue and is committed to working with partners across Arizona to ensure that the promise of this legislation is realized for all communities,” said Orlando Cazarez, Executive Director.
“On behalf of the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, I applaud Senator Markey’s introduction of the Heating and Cooling Relief Act of 2025. Senator Markey was a cosponsor of LIHEAP when it began as a temporary program in 1981 and has played a key role in transforming it into the successful program that it is today. This bill will transform LIHEAP into a program that provides year-round energy assistance, recognizing that access to cooling is now as essential as heating for low-income families. No family should have to struggle between paying their home energy bill or food, clothing, and medicine, and this bill will help protect families from having to make that difficult decision,” said Mark Wolfe, Executive Director at the National Energy Assistance Directors Association.
“This ambitious bill shines a spotlight on the energy affordability challenges faced by low-income families who urgently need access to LIHEAP,” said Olivia Wein, Senior Attorney at the National Consumer Law Center. “We look forward to working with parties to refine this legislation and focus its impact on people with the greatest need.”
“As extreme heat and climate chaos continue to intensify year after year, millions of families are grappling with the real-life, devastating consequences. These unnatural events are killing people and making them sick in their own homes. Our communities, many of whom don’t own housing and are struggling with the rising cost of living, should not have to risk their lives to avoid extremely high energy bills. In this critical moment, to save lives and strengthen climate resilience in vulnerable communities, access to essential heating and cooling relief is both a necessity and a right,” said Caleb Smith, Resiliency Coordinator at WE ACT for Environmental Justice.
“As extreme heat becomes increasingly dangerous with longer, more frequent, and more intense heat waves every year, it is critical people can protect themselves from unhealthy and potentially deadly home temperatures. The risk of heat-related illness, injury, and death is particularly high for families and older adults who don’t have air conditioning or can’t afford to run it. The Heating and Cooling Relief Act would help people stay safe by making crucial investments in efficient and affordable home cooling strategies. Extreme heat events kill more people than any other type of severe weather or climate disaster, but Congress can prevent some of these deaths by passing the Heating and Cooling Relief Act,” said Jill Rosenthal, Director of Public Health Policy at the Center for American Progress.
“Too many households face a terrible choice when summer temperatures soar. Feed the kids? Pay the rent? Or stay safe from deadly heat? This critical bill will alleviate that burden by helping low-income households keep their power on and make their homes more weatherproof and energy efficient. It will also refill a long-empty emergency contingency fund, giving states an important backstop in an increasingly extreme climate,” said Juanita Constible, Senior Advocate at the Natural Resources Defense Council.
“In the richest country in the world, no kid should have to go to bed freezing cold because their family can't afford to keep the heat up. No one should die in their own home during heat waves because they can't afford air conditioning. This legislation is a vital step towards lowering the cost of living for working people and ensuring every American has a safe and healthy home. It shows that tackling the climate crisis goes hand in hand with helping working people,” said Sunrise Movement Executive Director Aru Shiney-Ajay.
“Expanding federal funding to help families afford to pay their energy bills is essential as tens of millions of American families continue to experience punishing energy burdens. President Trump's chaotic disruption of our economy and his gutting of indispensable government programs has resulted in a crisis of energy affordability. This legislation is vitally important to ensure that American families can afford essential energy service under Trump's disastrous economy,” said Tyson Slocum, Energy Program Director at Public Citizen.
“No American family should have to skip heating or cooling their home to a safe and comfortable temperature just to make ends meet. The Heating and Cooling Relief Act is a commonsense update to an essential program that keeps our lights on, protects the vulnerable, and ensures we’re prepared for growing energy demand and worsening disasters. Strengthening LIHEAP is about fiscal, moral, and national responsibility. At a time of rising costs and extreme weather, this bill brings overdue reforms that put working families first, cut red tape, and modernize our response to energy emergencies. The Sierra Club is proud to support it,” said Xavier Boatright, Deputy Legislative Director at Sierra Club.
The Heating and Cooling Relief Act is endorsed by National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), Center for Energy Poverty and Climate, Public Citizen, Sunrise Movement, Green & Healthy Homes Initiative, Center for American Progress, Sierra Club, Citizens for Citizens, American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), National Housing Law Project (NHLP), National Consumer Law Center (NCLC), Energy Coordinating Agency (ECA), Citizens Action Coalition, WE ACT, The Utility Reform Network (TURN), Climate Resolve, Indiana Conservation Voters, Fair Housing Center of Central Indiana, Action for Boston Community Development (ABCD), Elevate, Evergreen Action, Center for Biological Diversity, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), Climate and Community Institute, Federation of American Scientists (FAS), Solar United Neighbors Action, North Carolina Justice Center, Creation Care Partners, Faith in Place Action Fund, National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH), Direct Action Against CenterPoint Energy (DAACE), Energy for All Coalition, Indiana Environmental Clean Energy J40 Corporation, Office of the People’s Counsel – District of Columbia Government, Arizona Sustainability Alliance.
###
