While about half of U.S. states offer protections from utility shutoffs during extreme heat, many do not. In contrast, 41 states have "cold weather rules," which forbid utility companies from shutting off household heat during extreme cold. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) also provides funds for vulnerable groups who have trouble affording heating bills in the winter, but the program has less funding available to meet consumers' increasing needs in the summer months.
Recent studies show that extreme heat in the summer is now the leading cause of weather-related deaths, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
In 2023, the death certificates of more than 2,300 people who died in the summer mention the effects of excessive heat, the highest number in 45 years of records, according to an Associated Press analysis of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. And that figure is only a fraction of the real death toll, according to coroner, hospital, and ambulance records, also analyzed by the AP.
Nationally, the cost of electricity has risen at twice the pace of the average cost of living, exacerbating the problem.
According to the National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA), which represents state program managers of LIHEAP, almost 20% of very low-income families lack consistent access to cooling. Currently, 26 states and the District of Columbia offer assistance with summer energy bills, while 21 states plus D.C. have policies protecting low-income families from utility disconnections during summer months.
Still, most LIHEAP resources are used for heating in the winter, leaving little support for households seeking cooling, experts say.