Northwest Iowa — With winter weather headed our way, lower-income households may be worrying about having enough money to keep the heat on. Just a reminder, there’s a program that can help you with that.
We talked to Upper Des Moines Opportunity’s Energy Program Director, Jennifer Corley and she tells us about the home heating assistance program LIHEAP.
She tells us who is eligible, gives us an example, and tells us what to bring when you come in to apply.
Corley tells us the different ways you can apply.
The local community action agency serving Osceola and O’Brien Counties (and several others) is Upper Des Moines Opportunity. So if you live in one of their counties, call them toll-free for more information about LIHEAP at (800) 245-6151, call your local county office, or visit udmo.com. Mid-Sioux is the community action agency serving Lyon and Sioux counties (and several others). Call them if you live in one of their counties at (800) 859-2025 or call your local county office. If you live in another area of Iowa and don’t know who to contact, you can get information from the Iowa Department of Human Rights at humanrights.iowa.gov.
They tell us that if you sign up for LIHEAP and are accepted, not only will they help you pay your heating bill, but they’ll enter your information into another part of the program — the weatherization program. Some residents will receive help winterizing their homes and replacing inefficient furnaces and appliances.
According to LIHEAP officials, another benefit of being eligible for LIHEAP, is you are then protected on the utility shut-off moratorium.
Officials say you should check as soon as possible to see if you might be eligible for the program, as some years they do run out of funds. If you are on a budget plan with your utilities, it’s even more important to apply soon so that the utility has the LIHEAP funds when they figure out any changes to your monthly payment and you’re not stuck paying a higher amount for several months.
