3 On Your Side: LIHEAP Assistance
By Jim Donovan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- While temperatures continue to hover in single digits, this is the time when heating your home is top of mind and gas and electric bills begin to rise. If you think you'll have problems paying your home heating bills, help may be only an application away. 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan explains.
If you think that you may not be able to pay your energy bills this winter the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program may be able to help. Commonly known as LIHEAP, the federal program funds money to each of the 50 states. In Pennsylvania $66 million dollars was allocated, but Ben Armstrong of PECO says, "LIHEAP is a first come first served program, so even though there is $66 million dollars available across the state, that is for all low income heating customers."
According Armstrong, more than 30,000 Pennsylvania PECO customers have already received assistance, totaling over $8 million dollars. Armstrong says, "There are two different parts of the LIHEAP program. One is the cash grant which is up to $1,000 and then there's the crisis grant which is up to $500. This $500 dollars can help keep the lights on or the gas flowing for low income customers."
The grants are based on household size, income, type of heating fuel used and county of residence. For example, in Philadelphia, a family of four with an annual income of $35,775 can qualify for help.
Income guidelines vary from state to state. In order to apply you'll need to have your recent utility bills, copies of your pay stub and be able to provide proof of how many people live in your home.
For more information visit:
PECO
https://www.peco.com/CustomerService/AssistancePrograms/Pages/LIHEAP.aspx
PGW:
http://www.pgworks.com/residential/customer-care/liheap-crisis-uesf-grants
PPL:
PSEG:
https://www.pseg.com/home/customer_service/bill/help/payment_assist.jsp
NJ:
http://www.nj.gov/dca/divisions/dhcr/offices/hea.html
PA:
http://www.dhs.state.pa.us/foradults/heatingassistanceliheap/
DE:
