WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) -- It's that time of year to turn the thermostat up, and that means your energy bill could rise too. "Putting enormous strain on families, businesses and communities struggling to afford their energy bills," Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) said. Gillibrand says on average, New Yorkers face some of the highest annual energy costs in the country: more than $3,000 a year. "This can be an extraordinary burden on low-income families, who are often forced to choose between heating up their homes or paying for other essentials like groceries or medicine," Gillibrand said. Should you set heat to a constant temperature or turn it on and off? This is why she urges those Americans to utilize the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, a federally funded program that helps individuals and families pay their heating bills. "No one should have to put their health or safety at risk because they can't afford their energy bills," Gillibrand said. In 2023, more than five million households received assistance with heating costs through the program. "This heating assistance really makes the difference," Sen. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) said. More than $35 million helped Vermonters last year and Welch says his constituents felt a huge relief. "I really encourage Vermonters who are struggling to pay bills and dread the sight of that fuel truck showing up. Even as they are so relieved that it's there so they can keep warm. That'll help them pay that bill," Welch said. Welch also says the program can help those in hotter parts of the country, with no air conditioning. "It's a program for everybody," Welch said. You can apply for assistance online.