Iowa to get more energy assistance funding

DES MOINES — Iowa is set to receive an additional $5.3 million in federal funding to help residents lower their home energy bills this summer, the White House announced Thursday.

The funding is part of $385 million being released nationally by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the White House said.

The funding comes from the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, and is designed to help low-income families and individuals reduce their home energy costs, including summer cooling.

The program is available to Iowans at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty level, such as a household of three with an income of no more than $43,920, or a household of five with an income of no more than $62,080.

The Biden administration’s pandemic relief package previously provided $4.5 billion to the energy assistance program, $78.5 million of which was sent to Iowa.

Between the new funding release, the pandemic relief package, the bipartisan 2021 infrastructure bill, and regular federal programming, Iowa has received $134.6 million in federal energy assistance funding during the current federal budget year, the White House said.

Gazette Des Moines Bureau