Twenty-one community service agencies in Alabama will receive a total of $46.2 million in federal grants to help low-income families pay their energy bills.

Gov. Kay Ivey announced the grants today. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services provided the money through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs administered the grants.

"Many low-income families in Alabama are forced to weigh between staying warm in their homes or having food and prescription medicine," Ivey said in a press release. “These grants will help many elderly, disabled and families with children not have to make those choices.

LIHEAP helps eligible low-income households pay to heat their houses. Residents apply at local agencies who determine eligibility based on income, family size and available resources.

The agencies receiving grants: