MEMO: Trump’s Reckless Energy Policies Are Leaving Families in the Cold

Overview

Trump’s policies have created a new threat for American families: delayed energy assistance during the harsh winter cold. Due to delays from Trump’s government shutdown, states that typically receive funds by early November may not receive them until mid-December. Even after funding is approved, there could be weeks more of delays before those funds reach families in need. For those facing utility cutoffs during deadly cold temperatures, funds could arrive too late.

That’s why Senator Markey joined energy experts earlier this month to call for a moratorium on utility shutoffs during the shutdown.

With the longest government shutdown in history, Trump made a bad situation worse. Earlier this year, Trump threw energy assistance agencies into crisis when he fired the entire staff of the federal Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which distributes energy assistance funds to states. Those reckless cuts nearly guaranteed funding delays, and Trump’s shutdown made them even more severe.

This all comes against the backdrop of skyrocketing power bills across the country, which have increased by 11% since Trump took office. Trump told voters he would cut energy costs in half. Instead, his tariffs and his war on cheaper, cleaner energy are sparking a national energy crisis. Middle-class families are now feeling the burden of high power bills, right alongside the low-income families who typically seek assistance. 

Trump’s self-inflicted energy crisis means his delays to energy assistance will put even more families in danger as the deadly winter cold sets in.

KEY FACTS  & POLLING

• As reported in the Washington Post, LIHEAP delays during Trump’s shutdown are hitting right alongside the administration’s cuts and delays to Medicaid and SNAP benefits — hitting struggling families all over the country.
• In April of this year, Trump’s Department of Health and Human Services fired the entire staff of the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), with no plan for administering the program without staff.
• In May, Trump’s budget proposed entirely eliminating LIHEAP — threatening to leave 6 million households without protection from life-threatening extreme temperatures.
• Even before the government shutdown, experts warned that Trump’s moves had thrown LIHEAP into “crisis.” With funding delays due to Trump’s shutdown, millions of families could face utility shutoffs during deadly winter weather. 
• In a typical year, state energy assistance agencies could expect to receive about 90 percent of last year’s funding by October. Instead, Trump’s shutdown could delay funding until December, putting struggling families in danger of piling up debt and facing utility shutoffs.
• This all comes as Trump’s war on cheaper, cleaner energy sends prices skyrocketing.
• Trump promised to lower energy prices, yet electricity rates have risen 11% nationally since he took office and continue to rise at more than twice the rate of inflation. 
• Home heating costs are expected to rise by nearly 8% this winter, with the highest increases among homes that use electric heating, due to rapidly rising electricity costs.
• Rising energy prices are becoming a major concern for voters. 57% of registered voters say that rising prices are having an impact on their personal finances.
• Experts have noted that electrical costs are now straining both middle-income families and low-income households. About 21 million households — one in six — are behind on their energy bills.
• Utility shutoffs are climbing from year to year. In 2025, experts say 4 million American households could face shutoffs, leaving them more vulnerable to dangerous temperatures.

The Bottom Line

American families are experiencing  life-threatening delays for energy assistance funding, and Donald Trump is to blame. Trump threw  these programs into crisis — firing the staff who distribute the funding to states, and attempting to eliminate the funds altogether. His government shutdown made things even worse. As skyrocketing bills affect more and more American families, Trump’s reckless attacks are becoming more destructive.