More Money Available for the Low Income Heating Assistance Program

(KNSI) — Just in time for the first day of winter, the Low Income Heating and Energy Assistance Program got a shot in the arm, increasing the number of utility customers who qualify for assistance.

LIHEAP, available from the Minnesota Department of Commerce, has been awarded another $106 million in federal funds. Senator Tina Smith says 42,000 people got help last year, but more people qualified and didn’t participate.

“You know, a lot more people qualify for this than they may think. And I think just on the heating bill part of it, you know, people might find that they are getting as much as 300 even more dollars a month off of their utility bills.”

It’s available to both homeowners and renters, and customers don’t have to be current on their bills to get assistance. Bills can include electricity, gas, oil, biofuel and propane, emergency fuel delivery, and new this year could also cover water and sewer bills.

Money is also available for home weatherization, covering needed repairs, replacements, and upgrades that can lower heating and cooling costs.

With higher income eligibility, a family of four could earn almost $68,000 and qualify. The program only considers the past three months of income for a household, so even if someone is working and making money but was unemployed for a while, they can still get help.

Senator Smith says, “depending on the size of your family, how many people live in your home, you’d be surprised at how helpful this can be. And, don’t assume that you don’t qualify or that your family income is too high. You should just go and check it out and see whether it’s going to work.”

According to the Energy Assistance Program Dashboard, more than $49.4 million has been awarded to 42,698 qualifying households. The average benefit is $1,159, and more than half of the households are seniors or those living with a disability.

Learn more about LIHEAP by clicking here.

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