JOHNSTON, RI – As temperatures drop, families and seniors across Rhode Island are bracing for significant cost increases to heat their homes this winter. About a third of Rhode Island households use home heating oil, and the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) projects that costs for heating fuel are expected to rise as much as 50 percent compared to last winter.

NEADA also projects that home heating costs for electricity prices will increase by 9 percent, propane by 8.7 percent, natural gas by 5.8 percent. And according to a Consumer Reports national survey, 20 percent of Americans have already had to cut back on grocery spending or switched to cheaper food options to afford their home energy bills, while 25 percent have adjusted their heating or air conditioning to uncomfortable levels to keep up with utility costs.

To help Rhode Islanders lower their home energy bills, U.S. Senator Jack Reed led the successful effort in Congress to preserve and fund the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) at $4.05 billion, rejecting the Trump Administration’s proposal to eliminate the program.

Today, Reed joined Tri-County Community Action’s Heating Assistance Team and local LIHEAP vendors to welcome the recent release of $23,574,007 in federal LIHEAP assistance for Rhode Island.

“Households that heat with oil are paying nearly twice what they paid a year ago. That puts real stress on people’s budgets, especially seniors on fixed-incomes and families with young children. LIHEAP offers substantial grants to help ensure vulnerable Rhode Islanders can afford their heating bills this winter,” said Senator Reed. “We want people to know that help is out there and how to get it.”

To help spread the word about LIHEAP assistance, Reed is teaming up with local Community Action Agencies to help vulnerable Rhode Island households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills.

The current average price for a gallon of heating oil is $6.30 in Rhode Island, compared to $3.68 this time last year.

Amidst repeated attempts by the Trump Administration to eliminate LIHEAP altogether, Senator Reed, a leading member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, joined U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) to rally a bipartisan coalition of 28 of their Senate colleagues in a successful push to release $3.6 billion in LIHEAP funding nationwide.

In FY 2026, over 27,400 Rhode Island households received primary LIHEAP grants that averaged over $300 and over 3,200 Rhode Island households received additional crisis grants that averaged nearly $690 to cover home energy costs. The amount of money LIHEAP provides varies from year to year based on how many people in need apply, the cost of fuel, and the type of fuel. The funds are administered by the state and go directly to the fuel vendor or regulated utility.

LIHEAP is administered by states and accessed in Rhode Island through local Community Action Agencies.

Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. Renters and homeowners are both eligible for benefits. Applicants don’t need to be on other government assistance programs or have unpaid heating bills to qualify.

LIHEAP is distributed on a first come, first serve basis and the application period for the 2026–2027 Rhode Island LIHEAP season opened on October 1, 2026.

Rhode Islanders wishing to learn more about LIHEAP may click here to reach the Rhode Island Department of Human Services website to get information and links to an online application.