$112 million awarded to Minnesota Energy Assistance Program to keep houses warm

ST. PAUL, Minn. — The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program has been awarded $112 million, the governor announced Thursday.

The funding will help low-income Minnesotans heat their homes this winter. "In our coldest months, higher utility bills can put a strain on Minnesotans' budgets," said Gov. Tim Walz.



"Our Energy Assistance Program makes a big difference in alleviating this pressure, ensuring that Minnesotans get the help they need to make it comfortably through the winter. This funding will continue to lower costs and keep Minnesotans safe." Last year, $95 million was awarded to help nearly 130,000 households stay warm.

With an additional $17 million, eligible households will be able to have an increase in energy benefits. "The Energy Assistance Program is essential to help Minnesotans have warm, safe homes. We will be able to deliver that warmth to more than one hundred thousand homes this winter season," said Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold.

According to the governor's office, last year's funding also prevented 43,000 households from shutting off their utilities, provided emergency heating fuel deliveries to over 10,000 homes and emergency furnace repairs to 6,600 homes. Two-thirds of the benefits will go to homes outside the Twin Cities metro area. Forty percent of households receiving this assistance in Minnesota had a person over age 60 or had a household member with a disability and about one in six households had children under age six living in the home.

For more information and to apply, visit mn.gov/homes ..