The White House rolled out more funding for lower household energy costs as inflation hasn't quite cooled headed into the fall.

President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) released nearly $3.7 billion in funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Tuesday. The administration also launched a tool to help households determine if they are eligible for the program.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program that assists low-income families with energy costs to ensure safe indoor temperatures. The program "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.

In the third quarter of 2023, LIHEAP assisted 1.3 million American households and prevented the loss of home energy 594,000 times, using the $4.7 billion allotted to the program. American households can apply for energy assistance benefits through the nearest LIHEAP office using the HHS's LIHEAP local office locator.

The LIHEAP could be especially important as inflation affects consumers' heating costs. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) for household energy has been steadily on the rise since its 2023 low point in May amid high natural gas prices.

While weather forecasters are expecting a warmer or average winter for most parts of the country, the price of electricity is up headed into the fall compared to the same time last year, data released by the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) on Tuesday showed.

The EIA projects that the 2023 heating season, spanning from November to April, will cost less on average than the previous year, particularly for those relying on natural gas.