North Dakota gets record amount for home energy assistance – Bismarck Tribune

The Biden administration is distributing an additional $4.5 billion nationwide for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, according to The Associated Press. Cold-weather states are receiving the largest share.

The funding boost is part of last year’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan coronavirus relief package. It has more than doubled the normal funding level of the program nationally.

The money is for the fiscal year from October 2021 to September 2022. North Dakota’s annual appropriation is $19.3 million, with an additional $27.1 million coming through the American Rescue Plan. It’s the most the state has ever received for LIHEAP, according to the White House.

The program in addition to helping with heating bills also offers emergency assistance to avoid heating utility shut-offs, furnace repair and replacement services, and weatherization services. North Dakota’s Department of Human Services is considering using the additional federal money this year to enhance home energy efficiency services statewide, according to Michele Gee, director of the agency’s Economic Assistance Division.  

The program overall last year helped about 12,800 North Dakota households, providing an average of $890 in assistance during the heating season.

“North Dakota’s winters are harsh, and this year people are dealing with inflated home heating costs,” Gee said in a statement to the Tribune, adding that “We encourage households that are struggling to pay their winter heating bills to apply at www.applyforhelp.nd.gov or through their local human service zone office or by contacting a Community Options office.”

Outlooks from the National Weather Service, AccuWeather and The Old Farmer’s Almanac all say the Northern Plains is likely to have a colder-than-normal winter due to the La Nina phenomenon — a cooling of the waters in the tropical Pacific Ocean that influences weather in the continental U.S.

The La Nina is expected to peak in intensity this month, with the greatest impacts in February and March. Much of January has been marked by subzero cold.

Montana-Dakota Utilities has projected that customers who use natural gas to heat their homes could end up paying on average $170 more than usual this winter due to rising natural gas prices. MDU provides natural gas to about 115,000 customers in the state, including to homes in Bismarck and Mandan.

More information on LIHEAP including income eligibility figures is available  at https://www.nd.gov/dhs/services/financialhelp/energyassist.html. North Dakota’s program uses the highest qualifying income level allowed by federal regulations, according to Gee. To qualify, a household can earn up to 60% of the state median income, which equals $62,452 for a family of four.