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UPDATED: Winter Heating Help Shrinks in Rhode Island. LIHEAP Delayed, Decreased. RI Energy Discount
UPDATED: We heard from the State of RI, and we have added RI Energy and Sen. Jack Reed’s information. Here are the updates – followed by our original story:
RI Energy: “I’m very optimistic we will be able to reach some resolution to get some relief credits to customers. Everyone understands that even with prices being down this winter pared to last we still need to find a way to give relief,” said Greg Cornett, President (Note the PUC meets today where the credits plan was to be presented but was pulled. The plan had been written in conjunction with RI Governor’s staff, according to media reports). (11-18)
RI State: From RIDHS: “…LIHEAP did send out notices with our renewals… while also spreading the word throughout the community with our partners and customers. The shift to Dec. 1 notifications was due to the uncertainty surrounding the duration of the shutdown but also, and more importantly, not knowing how much money would be released by the federal government under the Continuing Resolution. We could not move ahead with authorizing fuel deliveries if we did not know if we could pay for them. Delaying until Dec. 1 gave us enough time for the funding situation to be resolved.
With regard to carryover funds from the 2025 federal LIHEAP award, it enabled us to open the 2026 program, ensure funding for Community Action Agencies’ (CAAs) staff to keep the program going, and fund fuel assistance for various lengths of time. We are now positioned well for the start of the program next month.” (11-18)
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RI Senator Jack Reed: On his website – we did not receive a release, except for one that day on the price of coffee, and tariffs. This story was posted on 11/14:
Federal LIHEAP funds help Americans keep the lights and heat on and afford rising utility bills | In Fiscal Year 2024, Rhode Island received about $27 million in LIHEAP funds to assist more than 28,000 households
The federal government shutdown is over but as utility rates continue to rise, U.S. Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) are leading a bipartisan push for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to release funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) as swiftly and at the highest level possible. Currently, the Trump Administration is sitting on $4 billion in federal LIHEAP dollars that have yet to be distributed this year.
“As Congress works to finalize the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriations bill for the Department of Health and Human Services, we urge you to immediately release the highest amount of Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funding available under the Continuing Resolution,” the 31 U.S. Senators wrote.
The bipartisan group of Senators say the federal LIHEAP funding is a crucial lifeline that keeps vulnerable citizens safe and warm during winter by helping low-income households and seniors on fixed incomes pay their energy bills. The program also helps reduce energy costs through improved energy efficiency initiatives.
Nationwide, an estimated 6 million households received assistance with heating and cooling costs through LIHEAP over the last year.
States and tribes typically receive their LIHEAP allocations from HHS by early November. Eligibility for LIHEAP is based on income, family size, and the availability of resources. While eligibility varies by state, most applicants must have a household income below 150 percent of the federal poverty guideline or 60 percent of the state median income.
The Trump Administration has proposed eliminating LIHEAP, including zeroing out funds in its fiscal year 2026 (FY26) budget plan, but Senators Reed, Collins, and Murkowski have led successful bipartisan pushback to save and fund the program. The Senate’s Labor-HHS-Education and Related Agencies Appropriations bill for FY26 would provide a $20 million increase for LIHEAP to $4.045 billion, while the House Appropriations Committee recommended a $10 million increase.
LIHEAP applications are now open for all income-eligible households. Senior citizens and those receiving Social Security Disability or SSI benefits are encouraged to apply as early as possible, but applications will be open to everyone through spring of 2026 — or until the funding is exhausted. To find your state agency, visit the U.S. Department of Energy LIHEAP State Map of Contacts.
According to a new forecast from the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, home heating costs are estimated to rise nearly 8 percent over last winter on average, with costs for heating with electricity forecasted to increase even higher – to 10 percent above last year.
Full text of the letter here (signed by 31 members of the Senate):
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Our original story:
Rhode Islanders are entering the coldest months of the year with fewer heating-assistance options than they expected — and far fewer than in years past. As federal funding stalls, state benefits shrink, and utility relief evaporates, households face a winter of higher bills and thinner support.
Yesterday, Rhode Island Energy abruptly withdrew a proposal that would have offered winter bill credits to every customer in the state. According to reporting by the Rhode Island Current, the cancelled plan would have reduced electric bills by $20 to $30 per month and gas bills by $40 to $50 per month during January, February, and March of 2026, with the same relief scheduled again for winter 2027.
The universal discount — part of a $149 million settlement tied to the company’s 2022 acquisition of the utility — was designed to offset peak winter costs during the most expensive months of the year.
Rhode Island Energy said it pulled the plan because it did not believe the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission (PUC) would support it “as structured.” The PUC has not said it would reject the proposal. Governor Dan McKee called the utility’s withdrawal “flat-out unacceptable.”
PUC Hearing Was Scheduled — Then the Utility Withdrew
A November 15 public notice from the PUC shows that the commission had already scheduled a full hearing on the proposal for tomorrow, November 19, under Docket 25-28-EL, to review “bill credits and other rate relief” for the 2026 winter season and examine how the costs would be recovered.
Rhode Island Energy withdrew the plan before the hearing took place — an uncommon move for a utility once a docket is publicly noticed.
The withdrawal bypassed public evaluation, Attorney General scrutiny, which has said the plan was not enough, and PUC questioning that would have occurred on the record. Inquiries made to the utility after the pullout by at least one media outlet, were met with an unusual response: no spokesperson was available for comment – and wouldn’t be for the entire week — a rare silence from a company typically quick to respond during regulatory disputes.
At the Same Time, LIHEAP Benefits Are Smaller – and Delayed
Compounding the uncertainty, the Rhode Island Department of Human Services (DHS) has announced significant changes to the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), the state’s primary heating-assistance program for low-income residents:
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Vendor notifications will not begin until December 1, roughly one month later than usual.
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Grant amounts will be smaller than in previous years.
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The agency warns these changes are due to “anticipated changes in federal funding and guidance.”
DHS outlined the changes in a notice on its LIHEAP webpage — not through mailed letters or direct outreach to households. The state has not issued any public announcement about reduced benefits or delayed vendor notifications. Community Action Program (CAP) agencies have sent re-application forms out to prior year’s recipients – on their usual schedule.
The online LIHEAP notice states:
“Vendors will begin to be notified of grants on December 1, 2025… Grant amounts will be smaller than in prior years. This includes both Primary Grants and Crisis Assistance.”
— Rhode Island DHS LIHEAP Program, November 2025 notice on LIHEAP website
The document also informs households that the last day to apply for LIHEAP this season will be April 15, 2026, and encourages residents to explore payment plans and discount programs offered through Rhode Island Energy.
As of mid-November, the federal government has not released any FY 2026 LIHEAP allocation tables, leaving states — including Rhode Island — without confirmed funding levels. Without those allocations, DHS cannot set final benefit amounts or begin vendor payments.
Last winter, Rhode Island urged some LIHEAP households to request additional assistance if they needed it because funds remained late in the season — as it had the year before – suggesting the state spent down nearly all of last year’s allocation and has no substantial reserve to cushion delays this winter.
By contrast, Massachusetts has publicly stated it will rely on $13 million in leftover federal funds to bridge the gap until new allocations arrive.
Other States Warned Residents – Rhode Island Said Little
Across the country, multiple states — including New York, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Wyoming, and Kansas — have issued public warnings or delayed their heating-assistance programs due to federal funding delays.
Some, like Massachusetts and Connecticut, announced contingency plans or use of reserve funds.
Massachusetts will rely on $13 million in leftover federal funds to bridge the gap, as has been announced.
Rhode Island’s public messaging was limited to a brief statement urging residents to “review important program updates” on a website. The reduced benefits and delayed vendor notifications were not communicated with advanced “be prepared” information or even a press release.
Good Neighbor Energy Fund Seeing Record Need
The safety net this winter, as it is every winter, is the Good Neighbor Energy Fund, administered by United Way of Rhode Island. The program provides one-time heating assistance to households facing temporary financial hardship who may not qualify for LIHEAP. United Way reports that calls to 211 for heating help have risen sharply as residents search for alternatives amid shrinking relief programs, and dropping temperatures – with holidays on the doorstep.
Here are the general guidelines to qualify for assistance at Good Neighbor:
The Good Neighbor Energy Fund information and application: https://www.unitedwayri.org/gnef/
Why the Lost Discount Matters
Rhode Island Energy still offers its regular income-eligible discount rate for households enrolled in programs like SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicaid, and SSI. Those programs continue.
The cancelled discount, however, was fundamentally different:
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It was universal, applying to all customers regardless of income.
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It required no application.
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It offered direct, flat-dollar savings during peak usage months.
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It would have reached middle-income households who do not qualify for discounted-rate programs but still struggle with winter bills.
In a winter of reduced LIHEAP grants and delayed vendor payments, the loss of even a modest monthly credit removes the last remaining relief that would have reached every household.
Political Undercurrents
The developments arrive during an election cycle. Governor McKee and Lt. Governor Sabina Matos are both on the 2026 ballot. Candidates are formalizing for both positions. Attorney General Peter Neronha — long seen as a potential challenger — recently announced he will not run for governor, freeing him to take more aggressive positions on consumer and regulatory matters. His office has already raised concerns about the structure of Rhode Island Energy’s discount proposal and that it was not sufficient.
A Winter of Higher Costs and Fewer Safety Nets
Together, the developments leave Rhode Islanders facing:
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Smaller LIHEAP grants
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Vendor payments delayed to December, at the earliest
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Federal allocations still unreleased
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No apparent reserve funds from last winter
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A universal discount withdrawn before public review
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An unusually quiet utility company
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Record calls to United Way’s 211 line
All as winter approaches. All as health insurance premium increases loom. All in the wake of the SNAP debacle and a government shutdown.
What Residents Can Do
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Households enrolled in SNAP, LIHEAP, Medicaid, or SSI should confirm they are receiving RI Energy’s income-eligible discount rate.
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LIHEAP participants from last year – and those who believe they are eligible – should reapply immediately – and contact their local CAP agency.
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Residents experiencing temporary hardship can apply to the Good Neighbor Energy Fund via 211.
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Those facing disconnection should contact Rhode Island Energy and, if unresolved, reach out to the Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Unit.
- There are oil companies who will ship small amounts – it’s best to start with the smaller companies and make phone calls or ask your CAP agency for suggestions.
RINewsToday will continue to monitor developments. An update was included at the top of the article from the State and RI Energy and Sen. Jack Reed. The State reached out to us – the other information was from RINewsToday reporting.