Provide Assistance With Utilities

We want to know more about which fuel is used to heat homes in combination with the cost of those fuels and the characteristics of the low-income households that need assistance with their utilities. This information helps communities enroll eligible households in assistance programs like the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program and qualify for grants to fund assistance. These data are also used to evaluate whether these programs benefit eligible households.

Estimate Future Energy Demand

Information on the current users of certain heating systems and the kinds of systems used in new homes helps communities predict future demand for fuels and the future costs of systems in use in a community. For example, the Department of Energy uses these data to project demand over the next 30 years, assessing the energy needs of the U.S. economy in a domestic and international context.

Measure Environmental Impacts

Communities with older heating systems may have lower air quality at times when they are in high use. Home heating fuel data are used to develop an inventory of the national aggregate emissions of each greenhouse gas and to research and report on the relationships among different development patterns (including housing and travel information) and public health and pollution (Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act).