Northwest Iowa — Those who run the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program or “LIHEAP” are promoting the program to lower-income individuals. The deadline is approaching to get heating assistance for the winter season that officially ended on Sunday.
Also, the winter moratorium on heat shutoffs runs out April 1st, so if you have been behind in paying heating bills this past winter, officials say you’ll want to apply for LIHEAP as soon as possible. Iowa law protects families who qualify for LIHEAP with a “winter moratorium” on shutoffs of natural gas and electricity. For eligible families, their gas or electricity cannot be shut off for nonpayment from November 1st through April 1st every year.
The LIHEAP program was established to help qualifying low-income Iowa homeowners and renters pay for a portion of their primary heating costs for the winter heating season. General applications are being taken until April 30, 2022.
They advise us that LIHEAP is not designed to pay household’s total energy costs. It is to provide supplemental assistance based on several factors including total household income, household size, dwelling type, and type of heating fuel, among others.
If you have already applied and have been approved this winter season, you cannot re-apply. For guidelines and an appointment in O’Brien County call the Upper Des Moines Outreach Office in Primghar at: 712-957-1023, located at 140 2nd St SE in Primghar. In Osceola County, call the Upper Des Moines Outreach Office in Sibley at: 712-754-2573, located at 1672 Northwest Blvd, Sibley. Or you can visit www.udmo.com.
The other two counties in our coverage area, Lyon and Sioux counties are not served by Upper Des Moines, but rather by Mid-Sioux Opportunity. You can call their Sioux Center office for more information at (712) 722-3611, or visit midsioux.org.
