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How to Apply for LIHEAP Energy Bill Help Through Your Local Community Action Agency

By CalculateBenefits Editorial Team · Reviewed by Mark Phaneuf, Publisher · September 2026

A parent gathers utility records at home on a cold winter day.
Gathering your energy bill and household records can help you prepare for a LIHEAP application. Original image created for CalculateBenefits.

LIHEAP may help pay a home heat or power bill. It may also help in a shutoff crisis. The full name is the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

You do not apply to a main U.S. office. Your state, tribe, or local group takes the form. In many places, that group is a Community Action Agency.

Use the official LIHEAP state contact list. You may also call the NEAR help line at 1-866-674-6327. Applying is free.

What can LIHEAP pay for?

The help is not the same in each state. Your local office may offer one or more of these:

States must offer crisis heat help through at least March 15. Local dates can last longer. Call now if your heat is off or may be shut off.

Who may get help?

LIHEAP is for homes with low pay and high energy costs. Each state sets its own pay limit.

Federal law gives states a range. The top limit may be 150% of the poverty line. A state may use 60% of its median pay if that is higher. A state cannot set its rule below 110% of the poverty line.

Those terms can be hard to use. Your local office can give you the exact limit for your home size. Our free benefit tool can also give you a first look. It does not save what you type.

Your state may use a shorter test if someone in your home gets SNAP, SSI, TANF, or some VA aid. This does not mean you will get LIHEAP. It may only help prove the pay rule.

Funds can run out. Apply as soon as your state opens its form. The 2026 funds were sent out from November 28, 2025, through April 17, 2026. Your local office sets the dates for you.

Why call a Community Action Agency?

More than 1,000 of these local groups serve towns and counties. Many take LIHEAP forms. They may also know about food, rent, job, and ride help.

Ask what else the office offers. One call may lead to more than one kind of aid.

What papers may I need?

Rules vary by state. Call before you go. Most offices ask for some of these:

Do not send an old, one-of-a-kind paper unless the office asks for it. Keep a copy of your form.

How do I apply?

  1. Find the right office. Use the official state contact list.
  2. Ask when the form opens. Some states use set dates. Crisis help may use a different path.
  3. Ask for the paper list. One missing item can slow the form.
  4. Say if heat is off. Also say if you have a shutoff note or no fuel.
  5. Save your proof. Keep a copy and a case number.
  6. Follow up. Ask when you should hear back. Ask how to appeal if the office says no.

What about free home energy fixes?

The Weatherization Assistance Program may pay for work that cuts your bill. It may seal air leaks or fix unsafe heat.

Its pay rule can be up to 200% of the poverty line. A person who gets SSI may meet the pay rule. Use the Energy Department's state list to start.

How do I spot a LIHEAP scam?

LIHEAP does not send a surprise cash grant. It does not charge a fee. No caller can promise a yes.

Use the phone number from the official office search. Do not use a number from a text or social post. Never pay by gift card, wire, or crypto.

Your first step is simple. Find the local office. Ask for its dates and paper list. Then apply for free.

Run your numbers. The free income limit checker compares your pay to HUD's limit for your county — the number housing programs check first. Nothing you type is saved. All calculators →

Application toolkit · verified 2026-07-28

Get ready to apply for LIHEAP

LIHEAP applications are local. Call the agency first because application seasons, accepted documents, and crisis procedures differ.

Common documents and information

Check off items as you gather them. Do not send original records unless the agency specifically tells you to.

What happens after you apply
  1. Save the submission date, confirmation number, and the intake agency's phone number.
  2. If service is off, fuel is gone, or you have a shutoff notice, make sure the agency marked the request as a crisis application.
  3. Respond quickly if the agency asks for another bill, income document, landlord statement, or household record.
  4. Read the approval or denial notice and its appeal instructions. While the application is pending, ask the same agency about weatherization and other emergency assistance.
Find your official local LIHEAP office →

Applying is free. CalculateBenefits does not receive or submit your application.

Local rules: LIHEAP is run by states, territories, Tribes, and local agencies. Never rely on a national checklist instead of the intake agency's instructions.

Official sources: HHS ACF — LIHEAP program information · HHS ACF — LIHEAP local office search

Sources

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