Even as the government reopens, millions of households still await federal funding to help cover heating costs as winter approaches and energy bills rise. 

The federal government shutdown, which ended this past week, resulted in the delay of federal funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. LIHEAP helps nearly 6 million households pay their heating or cooling costs. The Department of Health and Human Services typically sends annual funding to states around November, but the shutdown has delayed the release of those funds.

The program opens at a time when households need to start using heat in their homes, Elizabeth Marx, executive director of the Pennsylvania Utility Law Project, told the Washington Examiner, adding that despite the government being back at work, it will take several weeks for LIHEAP funding to reach states.

Marx said that individuals who do not receive aid to heat their homes may resort to unsafe and costly alternatives, such as electric space heaters, portable generators, or ovens. 

“They forgo food, medicine, medical care, and other basic needs in order to keep the heat on,” Marx said. She hopes the funding will reach the states in early or mid-December. 

Households typically use a lot more energy