A heating bill can become urgent before the next paycheck arrives. If you’re behind on payments or worried you won’t have enough fuel to heat your home, start by checking what help is available where you live. The right place to call depends on your ZIP code, how you heat your home, and whether you’re facing an immediate loss of heat.
Start with your local energy assistance office
The federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP, helps eligible households with home energy costs. States, territories and tribes administer the program, so application dates, eligibility rules and available benefits vary. Some programs offer crisis assistance for households facing a shutoff or another heating emergency.
Use the federal LIHEAP household assistance website to find the program that serves your area. Ask whether applications are open, what documents you need and how to apply. If you heat with propane, heating oil or another delivered fuel, tell the office what you use and how soon you expect to run out.
Renters can ask about eligibility, too. If heat is included in your rent or the utility account is in someone else’s name, explain your arrangement and ask what proof the local office accepts.
If you have a shutoff notice, make two calls
First, call your utility or fuel supplier. Use the number on your bill. Tell them the date on the notice and ask what options are available, such as a payment arrangement or a hardship program. Ask what, if anything, would pause a scheduled shutoff. Don’t assume an application for assistance automatically stops it.
Then call your local energy assistance office. Say up front that you have a shutoff notice, have already lost service, or are about to run out of fuel. Ask whether the office has a crisis application and what it needs to document the emergency. Keep a copy of the notice and write down any deadlines or next steps you’re given.
Gather your documents before applying
The local office can tell you exactly what it needs. A useful starting point is your most recent utility bill or fuel delivery statement, any shutoff notice, proof of household income, and something showing where you live. If you rent, keep your lease handy in case the office asks how heating costs are paid.
If you’re missing a document, call and ask what alternatives the office accepts. Also ask how you’ll know whether your application is complete and how to check its status.
Ask about help beyond the immediate bill
If the program is closed, you don’t qualify, or the available assistance won’t cover the full balance, ask your utility about its own programs. You can also try 211 for referrals to local agencies and nonprofits that may help with utility bills or emergency heating needs.
If your home is hard to keep warm even when the heat is on, look into the U.S. Department of Energy’s Weatherization Assistance Program. Weatherization addresses longer-term energy costs through improvements to eligible homes. For an immediate shutoff or fuel shortage, contact your supplier and local energy assistance office first.
We Report. You Decide.