LIHEAP Is Now Open

LIHEAP (or the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program) is a federally funded program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) that helps income-eligible families pay winter heating costs. The program provides grants to assist with paying home heating bills. Columbia Gas and Peoples are partnering once again to promote LIHEAP, in order to help fixed-income customers with winter heating bills. Now that LIHEAP is accepting applications for this winter season, we urge our customers to stay warm and safe this winter by applying for LIHEAP grants.  

With the assistance of NFL Hall of Famer and former Pittsburgh Steeler Franco Harris, who volunteers his time to serve as LIHEAP spokesperson, Columbia Gas and Peoples have worked together for more than two decades to provide important LIHEAP information to income-eligible customers. Grants are also available for residents without heat or in danger of being without heat. For the 2016-2017 winter heating season, the minimum LIHEAP grant will be $200, an increase of $100 compared to recent years. “The increased minimum grant of $200 will be significant for those needing help paying this winter’s heating bills,” said Deb Davis, Manager of Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania’s Universal Services Department, which oversees customer assistance programs.  “More than $165 million in grant assistance will be available this winter for our customers. We strongly encourage them to apply now during the opening of the LIHEAP program.”

Rita Urbaniak, Director of Customer Relations at Peoples, agreed. “A little help goes a long way this time of year,” she said. “Our goal is to connect families to the programs that are available to help them and make it easy for them to apply. LIHEAP is applied directly to the customer’s utility bill." She also explained that customers who qualify for LIHEAP can also benefit from Customer Assistance Programs (CAP), which provide lower monthly bills all year round. "We hope that anyone who needs help this winter or those caring for family, friends or neighbors with limited incomes look into LIHEAP and all the other programs that could provide assistance,” Rita added. 

LIHEAP funds are limited, and both Columbia Gas and Peoples urge eligible home owners and renters to apply as soon as possible. Eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP do change, and customers who may not have been eligible last year are encouraged to reapply. The income eligibility limit for the 2016-2017 LIHEAP is 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means individuals with an annual income of up to $17,820 are eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $36,450. For more information on specific income guidelines per household, click here. Please keep in mind that LIHEAP closes on March 31, 2017, or earlier if funds run out.

Natural gas customers in western Pennsylvania can call 1-866-827-1281 to learn more about LIHEAP, or they can talk with their natural gas utility – Peoples or Columbia Gas. Peoples customers should call 1-800-400-WARM (9276) to speak with us directly. We also encourage our customers to save time and apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service (COMPASS) website.

To apply, the customer must provide the following information:

1. Names of all people in the household
2. Birth dates for all people in the household
3. Social Security numbers for all members of the household
4. Proof of income for all members of the household
5. A copy of a recent heating bill

We know that the winter months can be a difficult time for people to pay their energy bills, and we're here to help in any way we can. LIHEAP is just one service available to our customers, but there are several other ways that we might be able to help. Please don't hesitate – give us a call at 1-800-400-WARM (9276) or email us at peopleshelps@peoples-gas.com to see what sort of assistance you may be entitled to.