MAINE PUBLIC • January 2, 2023
Maine is slated to receive additional federal funding to help low-income residents heat their homes. The $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill, recently passed by Congress, contains another $1 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. Maine will receive $6.5 million of that sum, bringing the state's total federal LIHEAP funding to $50 million for the current winter. Roughly 60% of Maine households depend on heating oil to warm their homes, which is the highest rate in the country.