Lamont proposes $12.7M for Connecticut heating aid

Gov. Ned Lamont proposed $12.7 million from Connecticut’s Federal Cuts Response Fund to supplement the Connecticut Energy Assistance Program (CEAP) for the 2026–27 heating season. The proposed state funding is intended to add to federal heating assistance, with eligible households using deliverable fuels among those the state says would benefit.

The state says the proposal would allow eligible households that rely on deliverable fuels, such as heating oil, to receive CEAP benefits at the same time. Under the change, they would not have to use one benefit completely before accessing the next. The proposal does not state how much additional assistance an individual household would receive.

Lamont’s office said it sent notice of the proposed use to bipartisan legislative leaders on the afternoon of Oct. 13. Under the fund’s review process, leaders have 24 hours to consider a proposed use and may vote to reject it. As of 2:43 a.m. EDT on Oct. 14, the 24-hour review period had not elapsed; the announcement had not reported a final outcome.

Projected reach and program details

Connecticut’s approved federal fiscal year 2027 LIHEAP allocation plan projects that CEAP will serve about 94,291 households, including approximately 32,893 households using deliverable fuels. Those are program projections, not a count of households guaranteed to receive the proposed state supplement.

The state lists CEAP benefits of $355 to $705 for the 2026–27 season. The amount varies by household size, income and heating source; that range describes listed program benefits and does not set the size of any proposed supplemental payment. The state’s Department of Social Services administers CEAP with Connecticut’s nine community action agencies.

Applications are open, and the deadline to apply is May 31, 2027. The state identifies Nov. 2, 2026, as the first day for program-paid fuel deliveries. That date applies to those deliveries, not necessarily to every form of assistance.

Fund balance and heating-oil prices

Lamont’s office said about $250.6 million would remain in the Federal Cuts Response Fund after the proposed allocation. That is the projected balance if the proposed use proceeds, not a report that the money has been transferred.

WFSB reported an average heating-oil price of $5.88 per gallon, nearly $2.50 higher than a year earlier, citing the latest data from the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection. The figure provides a price comparison for households using delivered fuel; it does not determine CEAP benefits.