Help paying heating and cooling bills

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is federally funded help with home energy costs. It can help you stay warm in winter and cool in summer, and it aims to cut the health and safety risks of unsafe heating and cooling. The money reaches households through local programs, so you apply where you live rather than to a federal office.

What it can pay for

• Home heating and cooling bills
• Energy crises, such as a shutoff notice, and reconnecting service after a shutoff
• Weatherization that makes the home more energy efficient
• Minor energy-related repairs, including repairing or replacing heating equipment

Who it's aimed at

LIHEAP benefits go mainly to households with low incomes, especially those that spend a large share of their income on heating and cooling. Households with an older adult, a person with a disability or a young child are a particular focus.

Renters can qualify as well as owners. In many places that includes a renter whose heat is part of the rent rather than a separate bill. Ask the local office how it treats heat included in the rent.

How to apply

Find the program for your area on energyhelp.us, available in English, Spanish and Chinese. You can also call the National Energy Assistance Referral line at 1-866-674-6327, weekdays from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern. The local office tells you what documents to bring.

Spotting a fake LIHEAP offer

LIHEAP doesn't give grants directly to individuals, and it doesn't charge a fee for a benefit. A call, text or email offering you a LIHEAP grant, or asking for a fee, is a scam. Report it to the HHS fraud hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

An annotated example

What to do next

Look up your local LIHEAP program on energyhelp.us or call the referral line at 1-866-674-6327. Ask the local office what documents to bring when you apply.