LIHEAP can help families make ends meet during cold winter months

By state Rep. Thomas Caltagirone

Money is tight in many Pennsylvania households, and the weather is growing colder. The costs to heat a home can be significant, and many residents and their families may find it hard to pay their heating bills this winter.

But there is help.

There are resources available to help low-income families and individuals pay their home heating bills, and also to help in the case of a heating emergency.

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program provides grants to income-eligible families in the Commonwealth to help meet their home heating expenses. It is a federal program administered by the state, and offers home heating energy assistance grants and crisis grants.

Home heating grants can be used to pay your heating bill, and you do not have to have an unpaid bill to qualify. Crisis grants can help if you risk losing your heat due to an emergency like broken heating equipment, a lack of fuel, or the termination or potential termination of utility service.

LIHEAP eligibility is based on household size and income, so a household of two with an income of $21,000 can qualify for assistance.

You can apply for LIHEAP online at www.humanservices.state.pa.us/compass. For additional information on LIHEAP or about applying, you can visit the Berks County Assistance Office in the Reading State Office Building at 625 Cherry St. There is also a special LIHEAP hotline: (866) 215-3911 or (610) 736-4228.

Residents of Berks can also contact the County Agency on Aging at (610) 478-6500, or the Berks Community Action Program at (619) 376-6571 for help.

The program opens on Nov. 3 this year and will continue as long as funds last.

There are other resources available for low-income seniors to help meet heating costs.

The Public Utility Commission requires utilities to have programs and protections in place to aid customers in paying their utility bills or in reducing the amount of electricity or natural gas a household uses.

The PUC suggests consumers call their utility company first and ask for budget billing which looks at the previous 12 months of energy usage to arrive at an average the consumer will pay every month.

There is also the Low-Income Usage Reduction Program, which helps residents lower the amount of electricity or natural gas they use through home weatherization.

For more information on these and other programs, contact the PUC at 1-800-692-7380.

No matter what the forecast this winter, Pennsylvanians can keep warm by using the resources available.

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