Utility Assistance

Energy Assistance

Coming Soon Winter Program Opening Date. Please check back at the start of January

The Regular and Crisis Summer LIHEAP Program opened on July 10, 2023, and is scheduled to close on September 28, 2023. Applications may be picked up outside of each CAPCA support office, or you may contact our offices to have us place an application in the mail for you. Applications are accepted in person on Mondays and Wednesdays from 7:15 AM to 5:00 PM, or through the mail at any time during the program period. Please contact your local CAPCA support office for more information, if needed.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is designed to assist low-income households which pay a large amount of household income for home energy (electric, natural gas, propane, etc.). There are three types of assistance provided: Regular, Crisis, and Assurance 16. 

Regular Assistance is designed to assist with the household’s energy burden, not to cover the total costs of bills. It is available for eligible low-income households during the winter and summer application periods, and is a one-time payment, meaning there is one regular assistance benefit available during the winter program, and one during the summer program. 

Crisis Assistance is available for eligible low-income households during the winter and summer application periods, and is a one-time payment, meaning that there is one crisis assistance benefit available during the winter program, and one during the summer program. To be eligible for crisis benefits, the household must meet general eligibility requirements and crisis definition requirements which include: disconnect notice; eviction notice when a household’s energy cost is included in their rent payment; enrollment in a delayed payment arrangement; current bill is due within seven days of the date of application; past-due amount on utility bill; pre-paid electric alerted that the balance will soon exhaust; propane or fuel oil below 20%; disconnected service; or health-related life-threatening situation if power is disconnected.

Assurance 16 (A-16) is a service that encourages and enables households to reduce their home energy needs which will ultimately reduce their need for energy assistance in the future. Households that have received crisis assistance may qualify for A-16 services, which are provided in the time between the winter assistance program and the summer assistance program.

Each of these programs operates only when funds are available. When LIHEAP is not in operation, other emergency utility assistance may be provided to eligible households, dependent upon available funding.