South Carolina to receive millions of dollars in energy bill assistance

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - Low-income families in the Palmetto State can expect some relief when paying their energy bills this Summer.

The White House announced Tuesday that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will release an additional $6 million in assistance for South Carolina, bringing the total funding in the state to over $89 million.

This is the single-largest investment in history, according to the White House.

Nationwide, $385 million in federal funds will be dispersed to families and individuals to help with their home energy costs.

The federal funds are dispersed through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Their goal, according to their website, is to help families stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer, even helping with energy-related home repairs.

White House officials say the need for this assistance is only getting bigger.

“Extreme heat is the biggest cause of death of all weather-related deaths,” says Emilie Simons, White House Assistant Press Secretary. “We know that low-income families are in need of assistance paying their home energy bills. This is a big deal because we’re getting closer to those hot summer months, which definitely affects states like South Carolina.”

Every family applying for help will receive varying levels of assistance based off like total household income and the number of people in the home.

Simons says families curious whether they qualify can go to www.energyhelp.us, and enter their household information. From there, families can apply for assistance on LIHEAP’s website

For Charleston, Berkeley and Dorchester counties, you can schedule an appointment for LIHEAP assistance here.