See How LIHEAP Can Make Your Cooling And Heating Costs More Affordable

What usually happens when you find that you can’t pay your monthly bills? Besides looking for a second job or other forms of income, you begin to search for spots where you can cut costs.

For example, you may stop eating out and start cooking at home instead. Or you may begin cutting monthly subscription services to things like Netflix.

What’s a cost that cannot be eliminated? Your cooling and heating costs, because whether it’s scorching summer heat or frigid winter temps, you’ll need your AC and heater to run to keep your family comfortable.

Fortunately, you can reduce your cooling and heating costs, and it’s not by simply adjusting the thermostat, shutting the blinds, or installing some ceiling fans. Instead, you can use LIHEAP to make those cooling and heating bills more affordable. Here’s a glimpse at how it works.

LIHEAP Background

The federal government created the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in 1981. As you can tell by its name, the program’s primary focus is to help low-income households have access to more affordable energy. Through such assistance, heating and cooling costs can be cheaper now and in the future for those who qualify.

How LIHEAP Works

Although the federal government is in charge of funding LIHEAP, each state decides how they administer the program. This means that each state may have a slightly different application process, and their benefits may vary as well. To see how LIHEAP works in your state, contact your local office by going here.

LIHEAP Benefits

LIHEAP’s primary focus is on cooling and heating. It offers aid to make your current bills more affordable, but can also help you with reducing these costs in the future via “weatherization,” a term that refers to making a house more energy efficient.

Beyond lowering your current and future bills, LIHEAP may also help when crisis strikes. For example, if you haven’t been able to pay your utility bill and your service is about to get turned off, LIHEAP could help.

It’s important to remember that your entire electric or utility bills will not be paid by LIHEAP. Only portions related to cooling and heating will. In short, don’t count on any help from the program in paying your sewer or water costs, unless they are directly linked to your cooling or heating.

A Closer Look at Weatherization

The home improvement of LIHEAP may be its most attractive benefits. Once you increase the energy efficiency of your home, you can enjoy lower costs for months and years to come.

Here are some examples of weatherization improvements LIHEAP may provide:

• Sealing doors and windows to ensure air doesn’t enter or escape the home.
• Installation of insulation.
• AC or furnace repairs.

Qualifying for LIHEAP

Your local office will use a variety of factors, such as income, need, and family size, to determine if you qualify for LIHEAP. Qualification doesn’t automatically mean you’ll get benefits, as funds are limited. It’s estimated that 20 percent of qualified applicants receive benefits from the program.