Enrollment Period Open for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program to Help with Winter Heating Bills

(Credit for Photo: Photo Provided with Release Courtesy of Columbia Gas)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Canonsburg, PA) Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania is reminding customers who need financial assistance with their utility bills to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The enrollment period opened on November 2nd and it offers one-time cash grants to qualifying applicants for emergency heating repairs or home heating bills.

Households can apply for these grants through April 23rd, 2027, or until funds are exhausted.

According to a release from Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, here is more information about LIHEAP and how to apply for it:

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. Crisis grants are also available to help income-eligible households at risk of losing their heat. Customers can receive more than one crisis grant during the season, as necessary, until the maximum benefit of $1,000 is reached.
The income eligibility limit for the 2026-2027 program is 150 percent of the federal income guidelines. This means that an individual with an annual income of up to $23,940 is eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $49,500. Last season, approximately 16,500 Columbia Gas customers received LIHEAP grants to help with their energy costs.
Customers can apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at www.compass.state.pa.us (click here), or they can request an application by calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095. More information can be found at the state’s LIHEAP resource page at LIHEAP (pa.gov)(click here.)
Customers also can request an application for LIHEAP by completing a form (click here) on the Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania website or can contact the company’s Energy Assistance hotline at 1-800-272-2714.
In addition, customers who have allowed their household income to be shared with Columbia Gas on their LIHEAP application may be eligible to participate in other energy assistance programs to assist with home heating costs without the requirement to submit income documentation.
In addition to LIHEAP, Columbia Gas offers other assistance programs (click here to learn more) that offer flexible payment options, budget plans and income-eligible financial support. Customer can visit the Columbia Gas Energy Assistance Resource Center (click here to learn more) to access energy assistance fact sheets (click here to learn more) and an eligibility calculator (click here to learn more) to determine what programs that may best meet their financial situation.