State Now Accepting Applications For Low-Income Home Energy Assistance

On November 1, Department of Human Services Secretary Dr. Val Arkoosh and Public Utility Commission Chairman Stephen DeFrank visited Camp Curtin YMCA and the Harrisburg Area Food Pantry this week to announce the start of the annual Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) application process for the 2024-25 season.

LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by DHS that helps qualified Pennsylvanians pay their home heating bills during the winter months. Assistance is available for both renters and homeowners. 

The LIHEAP application period for cash and crisis grants is open from November 4, 2024, to April 4, 2025.

LIHEAP assistance is available in the form of cash or crisis grants which are distributed directly to a household’s utility company or home heating fuel provider. Individuals or households do not have to repay assistance. 

The minimum LIHEAP cash grant is $200, and the maximum cash grant is $1,000. Individuals and households may receive one cash grant per LIHEAP season.

Separately, Pennsylvanians who qualify for a LIHEAP crisis grant will be eligible for a minimum grant of $25 and a maximum grant of $1,000. 

Individuals and households are eligible for a crisis grant if they meet the income guidelines and are in jeopardy of having their heating utility service terminated, have already had their heating utility service terminated, or who are out of or have less than two weeks’ worth of deliverable fuel, such as fuel oil, propane, coal, or wood. 

Households may apply for and be eligible for more than one crisis grant – up to the $1,000 maximum – if they experience more than one emergency per LIHEAP season.

Click Here for information on eligibility requirements and how to apply.

[Posted: November 2, 2024]  PA Environment Digest