Millions of low-income households across the United States qualify for federal help paying summer cooling bills, but most never receive it. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, exists to help families cover energy costs for both heating and cooling, yet peer-reviewed research documents a substantial gap between the number of households eligible and those who actually enroll. As summer 2026 heat arrives, the disconnect between available federal dollars and the families who need them most is widening, driven by fragmented state-by-state application systems and limited outreach.
Why cooling assistance goes unclaimed during deadly heat
LIHEAP is designed to help households “stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” according to the federal community services agency. Eligible uses include direct bill payment, crisis assistance, weatherization, and minor home repairs. On paper, the program covers cooling needs in every state. In practice, each state designs its own application process, benefit levels, and outreach strategy, creating wide variation in who actually gets help.
The hypothesis that states screening LIHEAP applicants through existing programs like SNAP or Medicaid would see higher enrollment rates finds strong support in published research. A peer-reviewed analysis in The Electricity Journal links state administrative design, specifically coordination with other social programs versus passive outreach, to the share of eligible households that receive benefits. States using categorical eligibility or coordinated enrollment reach more families than those requiring a separate, stand-alone application. The gap is not just about awareness; it is built into the bureaucratic architecture.
Researchers also note that cooling assistance is often treated as a seasonal add-on rather than a core public health intervention, even as heat waves become longer and more intense. Many states front-load their outreach around winter heating, leaving summer supports less visible. That imbalance matters: households that struggle to pay winter bills may enter the hot season in arrears, facing shutoffs just as indoor temperatures climb.
State-level rules create uneven access to summer aid
Two states illustrate how different administrative choices produce different outcomes. New York operates a dedicated cooling benefit that provides air conditioners or fans with defined dollar caps and specific eligibility conditions, including proof of medical need or income. The program is structured around equipment purchases rather than ongoing bill support, which can be crucial for households without any cooling at all. But the medical-need documentation and limited funding windows can still leave out families who are vulnerable but lack a formal diagnosis or quick access to paperwork.
Georgia, by contrast, opened its LIHEAP cooling assistance earlier this spring with priority application windows for older adults and medically homebound residents, according to the state’s human services department. Georgia’s program operates on a first-come, first-served basis until funding runs out, which means families who apply late or learn about the program after the window opens risk getting nothing at all. In both states, the design choices-equipment versus bill aid, medical documentation versus age-based priority, rolling versus fixed enrollment-shape who benefits and who is left exposed to dangerous heat.
Federal guidance requires states to submit Model Plans that include benefit matrices covering heating, cooling, and crisis assistance, as outlined in the fiscal year 2026 LIHEAP planning template. But those plans lack standardized outcome metrics that would allow direct comparison of cooling-assistance reach across states. The result is a system where federal money is allocated but no consistent national measure tracks how many eligible families actually benefit from cooling aid specifically. Without comparable data, it is difficult for policymakers or the public to see which administrative models are most effective at protecting residents during extreme heat.
Evidence of unmet need in a warming climate
Research published in a public health journal ties extreme heat risk directly to energy insecurity and identifies a substantial gap between LIHEAP eligibility and actual enrollment. The study points to administrative barriers, including complex paperwork, in-person appointment requirements, and limited application hours, as key reasons families fall through the cracks. Households with unstable work schedules, limited transportation, or language barriers are especially likely to miss narrow application windows or abandon lengthy forms.
The same research underscores that the health consequences of this gap are not abstract. When households cannot afford to run air conditioning during heat waves, they report higher rates of heat-related illness, dehydration, and exacerbations of chronic conditions like asthma and heart disease. Children, older adults, and people with disabilities face the greatest risks, particularly in poorly insulated housing or apartments without cross-ventilation. Yet many of these households meet income thresholds for LIHEAP and simply never make it through the door.
Closing the gap between eligibility and protection
Experts who study LIHEAP administration argue that relatively modest policy changes could dramatically expand cooling access. Automatically enrolling eligible households that already participate in SNAP, Medicaid, or Supplemental Security Income would reduce paperwork and ensure that the poorest families are not required to navigate multiple bureaucracies. Simplifying forms, extending application hours, and partnering with community health clinics and housing organizations for outreach could further narrow the enrollment gap.
Standardizing a small set of cooling-specific performance metrics-such as the share of eligible households receiving summer assistance and the average time from application to benefit-would also help identify which state models work best. That information could guide future federal guidance and encourage states to adopt practices that have been shown to reach more families.
As climate change drives longer and more frequent heat waves, the stakes of underused cooling assistance will only grow. LIHEAP already has the legal authority and funding structure to act as a frontline defense against heat-related illness and death. Whether it fulfills that role will depend less on the existence of federal dollars than on the design of state systems that determine who can access them, and how quickly, when temperatures soar.
