ICYMI: Trump Administration Cuts Will Raise Utility Costs for Low-Income North Carolinians

Raleigh, NC  — The Trump administration fired the entire staff working in the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) within the Department of Health and Human Services, which has been helping low-income Americans save money on their utility bills since 1981. Congress previously approved $4.1 billion for the program for fiscal year 2025.

“Energy bills are already a challenge for so many North Carolinians, and this move will make it worse” said Climate Power North Carolina State Director Terryn Hall. “LIHEAP is an important resource to keep North Carolina families safe, whether it’s help with a heating bill in the winter, or emergency support for cooling as our summers get hotter. Firing LIHEAP staff means that North Carolinians are literally left out in the cold.”   

In fiscal year 2023, North Carolina received more than $166 million from the LIHEAP, federal aid that helped over 200,000 households. That includes almost 140,000 households receiving heating  assistance, with an average benefit of $773 per household, and close to 90,000 households receiving crisis assistance. In 2024, North Carolina’s LIHEAP funding was cut down to $113 million—even as climate change fuels extreme weather in the state that impacts heating and cooling demand.

North Carolina families struggling to pay their utility bills will be directly harmed by the Trump administration firing LIHEAP’s entire staff. Families relying on energy assistance during the cold winter months can’t afford to lose this support. Cuts to federal health and energy programs don’t just impact the budget—they lead to more ER visits, missed work, and heat stroke deaths.

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