(HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont today announced the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) will allow all participating households that heat with deliverable fuels such as home heating oil to receive an additional crisis assistance benefit worth $430 this winter season, above the amount they were already able to receive.
Earlier today, Congress approved the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, which includes an additional $1 billion for the national Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that will provide Connecticut with an estimated $20 million in additional funding for CEAP.
CEAP is administered by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS) in partnership with the state’s community action agencies and is normally funded entirely through LIHEAP. In November, with federal funding anticipated to fall short of projected need, Governor Lamont and the state legislature allocated $30 million of ARPA State Recovery Funding to the program in order to help mitigate the impact of unusually high energy prices, support growth in program enrollment due to increased demand and streamlined service delivery, and ensure low-income Connecticut residents have the assistance they need to stay warm this winter. Connecticut’s federal delegation also recognized that need and worked to ensure that additional federal funding was made available to support state residents. Under the provisions of the November law, the ARPA funding the state has committed will be expended after the federal funding is exhausted.
“This additional federal support for our energy assistance program and the funding the state has allocated will help provide added heating assistance to households this winter season,” Governor Lamont said. “I urge residents who may need assistance to consider applying for this program to get them through the winter months. I am grateful to Connecticut’s Congressional delegation for securing additional federal funds for this fiscal year.”
Coupled with the existing basic benefit and crisis assistance benefits, the additional $430 benefit means families heating with deliverable fuels like heating oil and propane can now access up to $2,320 per household to help pay their heating bills. Total benefits for deliverable fuel households now range from $1,110 to $2,320, up from $680 to $1,890 or by as much as 63% for certain households.
“The Department of Social Services is dedicated to ensuring that Connecticut families have access to state services that support their basic needs,” DSS Commissioner Deidre Gifford said. “Right now, there is an urgent need to help our state residents with the high costs of fuel and we are proud to be able to deliver additional benefits to help address that need. The additional federal funding will go directly to reducing the energy cost burden of families struggling with high bills and help ensure that they can stay warm this winter.”
Interested households should apply online at ct.gov/heatinghelp or contact their local community action agency. Households can find their local community action agency and other services on the ct.gov/heatinghelp website. Additional assistance is available by calling 2-1-1.