LIHEAP Energy Assistance: Who Qualifies and How to Apply

What LIHEAP can help with

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Administration for Children and Families (ACF) runs LIHEAP at the federal level. According to ACF's LIHEAP page, the program helps with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor energy-related home repairs.

Depending on where you live, that can include:

• Help paying for electricity, natural gas, propane, fuel oil, or wood
• Crisis help if your heat or cooling has been shut off or is about to be
• Getting service reconnected after a shutoff
• Repairing or replacing a broken furnace or other heating or cooling equipment
• Weatherization work that makes your home use less energy
• Help during or after a natural disaster

Each state chooses which of these services it offers and when. Many states focus on winter heating, and some also run summer cooling programs. Your state's LIHEAP office can tell you what is open right now.

LIHEAP pays for home energy. It does not pay phone, internet, or cable bills.

Who qualifies for LIHEAP

Federal law sets the outer limits, and each state sets its own rules inside them. Under the LIHEAP statute, a state can make a household eligible if its income is no more than the greater of:

• 150% of the federal poverty guidelines, or
• 60% of the state's median income

States can't set their income limit below 110% of the poverty guidelines. They can set it anywhere between that floor and the federal maximum, and they can add other rules, such as an asset limit or a requirement that you pay for home energy yourself.

FY2027 income limits at 150% of poverty

For the federal fiscal year that started October 1, 2026 (FY2027), states that use the poverty guidelines must use the 2026 figures. ACF published them in LIHEAP Information Memorandum IM2026-01. Here is the federal maximum at 150% of poverty for the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C.:

Household size	150% of poverty (yearly income)
1	$23,940
2	$32,460
3	$40,980
4	$49,500
5	$58,020
6	$66,540
7	$75,060
8	$83,580

Alaska and Hawaii have higher figures. For a household of four, 150% of poverty is $61,875 in Alaska and $56,925 in Hawaii.

These are ceilings, not your state's actual limit. Some states use a lower cutoff. Others use 60% of state median income, which can be higher than the numbers above. ACF's state median income table for FY2027 shows the maximum for each state, but your state's LIHEAP office has the limit it actually uses.

Automatic eligibility through other benefits

States may treat your household as income-eligible if someone in it already gets SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or certain means-tested veterans benefits. Not every state uses this option, and those that do may still ask you to fill out an application. If you get one of these benefits, mention it when you apply.

For more on those programs, see our guides to how SNAP works, SSDI and SSI, and TANF eligibility.

What counts as a household and income

LIHEAP defines a household as people living together as one economic unit who buy energy in common or pay for energy as part of their rent. That means renters whose heat is included in the rent can still be a LIHEAP household. Ask your state how it handles this.

Federal law does not define income. Generally it means gross income (before taxes), though some states subtract certain medical or child care costs. Your state's application explains what it counts.

How to apply for LIHEAP

1. Find your local office. Use the LIHEAP office search tool on the LIHEAP Clearinghouse, run for ACF, or ACF's state and territory contact list. You can also call 1-866-674-6327 on weekdays.
2. Ask how and when to apply. Some states take applications online, others by mail or in person. Ask which services are open now (heating, cooling, or crisis) and whether there is a deadline.
3. Gather your information. Your state's application lists the proof it wants. Expect questions about everyone who lives with you, the household's income, and your energy bills or fuel supplier. Having your most recent bill and income records on hand saves time.
4. Turn in the application and keep a copy. Write down the date, how you submitted it, and the name of anyone you spoke with.
5. Watch for follow-up. If the office asks for more documents, send them by the date it gives you.

Processing times for regular bill help vary by state and by how busy the office is. Ask your local office how long it usually takes.

If your power is off or about to be shut off

Tell the office right away that you have a shutoff notice, have already been disconnected, or are almost out of heating fuel. Crisis help moves on a faster federal timeline.

Under federal law, if you are eligible for crisis benefits, the program must provide some form of help that resolves the crisis within 48 hours of your application. If the situation is life-threatening, the limit is 18 hours. Bring your shutoff notice or past-due bill with you.

Shutoff protections are set by each state

There is no single national rule that stops a utility from disconnecting you. Each state has its own policy, and it may depend on the weather, your age, whether someone in the home has a disability, and which utility you have.

The LIHEAP Clearinghouse keeps a state-by-state list of disconnect policies. As of its latest update, 42 states have cold-weather protections and 21 have hot-weather protections.

Two things to know about these rules:

• A ban on shutoffs during cold or hot weather only delays a shutoff. The utility keeps billing you, and the past-due amount stays on your account. Once the protection period ends, you can be disconnected if you still owe.
• These rules generally cover utilities regulated by your state's public utility or public service commission. Municipal utilities, rural electric co-ops, and propane or fuel oil dealers often are not covered.

If you have a dispute with your utility, the Clearinghouse advises trying to resolve it with the utility first, then contacting your state's utility commission. For legal help with a shutoff, look for free legal aid in your state at lawhelp.org.

Weatherization Assistance Program

The Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), run by the U.S. Department of Energy, pays for home improvements that cut energy use. It is separate from LIHEAP, though some states coordinate the two and some use LIHEAP money for weatherization too.

Under the federal WAP rule (10 CFR 440.22), a home can qualify if the household:

• Has income at or below 200% of the poverty level, or
• Has a member who received SSI or TANF cash assistance in the past 12 months, or
• Is eligible for LIHEAP, if the state chooses to use that rule

Renters can get weatherization, but the building owner must give written permission, and the rule includes protections against rent increases tied to the work.

To apply, find your state's WAP office on the Department of Energy's site.

LIHEAP funding for this winter

LIHEAP depends on yearly funding from Congress, and states pass the money to local offices. On October 9, 2026, ACF released about $3.6 billion in LIHEAP block grant funding for FY2027. The money came under a continuing resolution (the Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2027), and ACF said it released 90% of the funding available under that law.

When your state opens its heating program, and how much it pays, is up to the state. ACF says LIHEAP benefits are aimed at households with the highest energy costs compared to their income, and at households with older adults, people with disabilities, or young children. Apply as soon as your state opens.

Watch out for LIHEAP scams

LIHEAP does not give grants directly to individuals, and it does not charge a fee. If someone calls, texts, or emails offering you a LIHEAP grant or asking you to pay a fee, it is not from the program. ACF says to report it to the HHS Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

Apply only through your state or local LIHEAP office. You never need to pay a company to apply for you.

If you don't qualify or need more help

• Ask your utility whether it offers a payment plan or its own assistance program for customers who are behind.
• Ask your LIHEAP office or community action agency about other local energy funds.
• Check whether you qualify for other help that frees up money for bills, such as SNAP. Our benefit finder can point you to programs to look into, and our list of benefits you might qualify for covers more options.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to pay anything to get LIHEAP?

No. ACF says LIHEAP does not charge a fee for receiving a benefit. If anyone asks you to pay to get LIHEAP, report it to the HHS Fraud Hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

Can I get LIHEAP if I rent?

Often, yes. LIHEAP's definition of a household includes people who pay for energy as part of their rent. Each state decides how it serves renters, so ask your local office.

How much will I get?

It depends on your state, your income, your household size, your energy costs, and the type of fuel you use. Your state's LIHEAP office can tell you how it sets benefit amounts.

Do I have to reapply every year?

Ask your state. LIHEAP is funded one federal fiscal year at a time, and each state runs its own application season, so plan on checking with your office each year.

Can I get LIHEAP and weatherization help?

Yes, you can apply for both. They are separate programs with separate eligibility rules, though some states use one application or office for both.

What is the phone number for LIHEAP?

The National Energy Assistance Referral line is 1-866-674-6327. It can tell you where to apply. Your state or local LIHEAP office decides whether you qualify.

Sources

• Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• LIHEAP IM2026-01 Federal Poverty Guidelines and State Median Income Estimates for LIHEAP Income Eligibility, Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• Attachment 2: 100, 110 and 150 Percent of the Federal Poverty Guidelines, FY2027 LIHEAP, Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• LIHEAP Funding Releases, Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• First Block Grant Funding Release FFY 2027, Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• LIHEAP Map State and Territory Contact Listing, Administration for Children and Families, HHS, accessed October 2026
• Need Help With Your Energy Bills? (LIHEAP office search tool), LIHEAP Clearinghouse, HHS, accessed October 2026
• Eligibility: Household Income, LIHEAP Clearinghouse, HHS, accessed October 2026
• Disconnect Policies, LIHEAP Clearinghouse, HHS, accessed October 2026
• Get help with energy bills, USAGov, accessed October 2026
• 10 CFR 440.22, Eligible dwelling units (Weatherization Assistance Program), Electronic Code of Federal Regulations, accessed October 2026
• 42 U.S.C. 8623, State allotments (crisis assistance timelines), U.S. Government Publishing Office, accessed October 2026