Bitter Blast Highlights Heating Assistance Help

(KNSI) — Our recent stretch of bitterly cold weather is the first for the 2023-2024 winter season, but it probably won’t be the last, and top officials say money is being left on the table for those struggling to heat their homes.

Minnesota’s U.S. Senator Tina Smith is calling attention to the Energy Assistance Program. Federal funding was passed in a bipartisan fashion to help both renters and homeowners. Eligibility is based on income and household size. Average help is around $500, but the free program provides up to $1,400 plus additional support for emergencies.

Senator Smith tells KNSI News to find out if the program can work for you; the calculator on the EAP website is easy to use. The application process is pretty simple. And that I think that is really important because, you know, you want to lower your heating bills, but you also have a busy life, and you don’t have time to jump through a bunch of hoops.”

Applications can also be requested by mail, and only one request is needed each year, not each month.

Once a ratepayer is accepted, Senator Smith says it’s relatively seamless. “The program automatically connects that assistance that you’re getting with your provider. It could be a heating oil supplier, or if you’re on Xcel Energy, for example, it goes right to them.”

The program helps with long term assistance if a heating source needs to be repaired, or “it can be used to weatherize a home to make it more energy efficient, and that can help to lower your energy costs too.”

She explains utility companies or nonprofits will come and do an assessment, and EAP money can be used for recommended improvements. Find a local provider here.

There is still time to apply for help. The deadline is May 31st, 2024.

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