Congress offers $350 annual utility credit to middle-income households
H.R. 615 — To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to establish a refundable tax credit for individuals for amounts paid for gas and electricity for primary residences. · Filed by Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) · Introduced Jan 22, 2025 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill creates a new federal tax credit of up to $350 per year for individuals who pay for gas and electricity at their primary residence. The credit phases out for higher-income households (above $200,000 for single filers, $400,000 for joint filers) and cannot be claimed by dependents or combined with other energy-related tax benefits.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a refundable tax credit for residential utility expenses, structured as a direct reduction in federal income tax liability for qualifying households.
What the text implies
- Refundable credit structure means households with zero or negative tax liability receive the full $350 as a refund, making this a direct cash transfer rather than a tax reduction for lower-income filers.
- Reporting requirement on landlords (§36D(g)) creates new administrative burden and potential compliance cost for rental property owners who include utilities in rent.
- Credit applies only to principal residence, excluding vacation homes, investment properties, and multi-unit dwellings where tenants pay utilities separately—narrower than all residential utility costs.
- Phase-out thresholds ($200k/$400k) are not indexed to inflation, meaning the benefit will gradually erode in real terms and eventually disappear for middle-income households over time.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
Ordinary households receive a direct, refundable tax credit reducing their annual tax burden by up to $350, lowering the effective cost of essential utilities. The income phase-out ensures the benefit targets middle and lower-income households most dependent on this relief.
Who stands to gain
- Individual taxpayers with utility expenses
- Lower and middle-income households
Named in the bill
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 36D (new), Section 36B (Affordable Care Act credit), Section 121 (principal residence definition), Section 48(a)(8)(D) (utility definition), Treasury Department, Utility companies (indirect)
Where it stands
- Jan 22, 2025 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Jan 22, 2025 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (3,307 characters) on Jun 3, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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