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• Billions in Funding to Lower Home Energy Costs ; LIHEAP Eligibility Tool Launched
• Manufacturers Criticize Proposed Boiler Standard
• Five PPATEC Graduates to Enter Workforce
� BILLIONS IN FUNDING TO LOWER HOME ENERGY COSTS ; LIHEAP ELIGIBILITY TOOL LAUNCHED
The U . S . Department of Health and Human Services ( HHS ), through the Administration for Children and Families ( ACF ), released nearly $ 3.7 billion in Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program ( LIHEAP ) funding to help households with their home energy costs . The funding will help ensure households across the country have the support they need to maintain safe and healthy indoor temperatures , especially as the winter season approaches . With this release , the Biden- Harris administration said that it had invested nearly $ 22 billion in LIHEAP to date , which is part of the administration ’ s broader efforts to lower costs for families . The funding , released Oct . 24 , is part of President Biden ’ s Investing in America agenda , which includes $ 100 million in increased funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in addition to regular appropriations from the Continuing Appropriations Act , 2024 .
“ LIHEAP is critical to lowering energy costs for families , and protecting the health and safety of households , particularly those that include older adults , individuals with disabilities and young children ,” said HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra .
“ LIHEAP is a lifeline for households across the country who need support with their home energy bills ,” said ACF Acting Assistant Secretary Jeff Hild . “ Last year alone LIHEAP served more than six million households .”
Alongside the funding release , ACF is also officially launching a LIHEAP eligibility tool . This user-friendly tool allows households across the country to quickly identify if they might be eligible for LIHEAP assistance by inputting basic information like income and household size .
The LIHEAP eligibility tool can be found at energyhelp . us and is available in Spanish , traditional Chinese and simplified Chinese . Individuals interested in applying for energy assistance can also visit energyhelp . us or call the National Energy Assistance Referral ( NEAR ) hotline toll-free at 866-674-6327 .
OCS has also released a LIHEAP heating assistance toolkit , which includes a variety of outreach materials , spotlight videos and winter safety resources designed to help keep families safe and warm during cold weather
� MANUFACTURERS CRITICIZE PROPOSED BOILER STANDARD
The U . S . Department of Energy ( DOE ) recently proposed raising the minimum efficiency standards for several categories of residential gas and liquid fuel-fired boilers , the National Energy & Fuels Institute reported in its newsletter .
The proposed standards would apply to newly manufactured boilers and would take effect in five years , according to the Institute ’ s Oct . 17 newsletter , NEON , which noted that major boiler companies argue the proposed rule will increase costs without delivering proportionate energy savings .
“ If finalized , the proposal would raise the minimum Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency ( AFUE ) standards to 95 % for gas hot water boilers and 88 % for liquid fuel hot water boilers . This is an increase from the current standards of 84 % and 86 %, respectively ,” the newsletter said .
Public comments on the notice of proposed rulemaking ( NOPR ) closed October 13 after a 60-day comment period . Manufacturers , including R . W . Beckett Corporation , Energy Kinetics , Weil-McLain , and ECR International , submitted extensive responses outlining concerns about DOE ’ s analysis and potential negative impacts on consumers if the standards are enacted .
The newsletter said : “ The companies warn the proposed rule will effectively
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DECEMBER 2023
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eliminate cast iron boiler manufacturing and significantly increase production costs across all fuel types . The companies criticized DOE ’ s methodology for underestimating real-world installation costs and overestimating potential energy savings from condensing boiler technology . Specifically , they stated that DOE fails to account for common on-site factors like insufficient building insulation and piping that limit actual efficiency gains .”
NEFI said it worked closely with manufacturers in responding to the proposed standards . The Institute also continues to advocate for legislative reforms to the Energy Policy & Conservation Act of 1975 ( EPCA ). The Act sets forth the process for establishing new appliance efficiency regulations , the Institute noted . In September , the association endorsed a bill in Congress that would increase the agency ’ s burden of proof regarding the technological feasibility and cost-effectiveness of new standards . The bill is also meant to ensure that any new proposal is consumer-focused and requires robust analysis of costs on homeowners , particularly for low-income families , the Institute said in its newsletter .
“ The DOE is utilizing the EPCA to aggressively push a political agenda ,” said NEFI President and CEO Sean Cota . “ The administration sees efficiency standards as a tool to push consumers towards more costly and less efficient electric heat pump systems , even if they cannot afford them ,” Cota said . “ This dangerous political cru-
6 NOVEMBER 2023 | FUEL OIL NEWS | www . fueloilnews . com