CANONSBURG — Pennsylvania households facing higher energy bills this winter may be eligible for assistance through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides one-time cash grants to qualifying applicants for home heating bills or emergency heating repairs.
Enrollment for the 2024-25 LIHEAP season opened Nov. 4, and households can apply for grants through April 4.
LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS). This season’s grants range from $200 to $1,000. Also available are crisis grants, ranging from $25 to $1,000, which assist income-eligible households without heat or in danger of being without heat.
“LIHEAP is a vital program to help eligible Columbia Gas customers maintain their utility service and stay safe and warm during the winter months,” said Deb Davis, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania manager, Universal Services. “Eligibility requirements change from year to year, so if you didn’t qualify in the past, you may qualify for assistance now, so apply now.”
Customers can apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at compass.state.pa.us, or they can request an application by calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at (866) 857-7095. More information can be found at the state’s LIHEAP resource page at LIHEAP (pa.gov).
Starting this year, LIHEAP applicants will have the option to check a box on their LIHEAP application that allows DHS to share income and household data directly with Columbia Gas.
The information is only shared if the customer has been determined eligible for LIHEAP and will help Columbia Gas enroll eligible customers in its other assistance programs, without requiring duplicative documentation, if customers provide their consent.
The income eligibility limit for the 2024-25 program is 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means that an individual with an annual income of up to $22,590 is eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $46,800. Last season, more than 18,000 Columbia Gas customers received LIHEAP grants to help with their energy costs.
“Customers don’t have to be on public assistance or behind on their bills to receive assistance,” said Davis. “The great thing about LIHEAP is that it offers one-time grants, so customers don’t have to repay them.”
In addition to LIHEAP, Columbia Gas offers other assistance programs that offer flexible payment options, budget plans and income-eligible financial support. Customers can visit the Columbia Gas Energy Assistance Resource Center to access energy assistance fact sheets and an eligibility calculator to determine what programs that may best meet their financial situation.
