Obscure Government Program Offers Assistance With Heating Cost for Low Income Households

Jan. 13, 2003 - Since 1988, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has operated the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) Clearinghouse through a training and technical assistance contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), Administration for Children and Families, Office of Community Services, Division of Energy Assistance.

The Clearinghouse collects, develops, organizes and disseminates information on low-income energy issues to:

• state, tribal, and territorial LIHEAP grantees;
• community action agencies and local government offices (subgrantees);
• low-income energy service organizations;
• fuel funds;
• utilities and utility regulatory commissions.

Through regular contact with the above parties, the Clearinghouse maintains and updates a nationwide information-sharing network.

The Clearinghouse provides information that helps low-income energy providers and low-income energy issue groups accomplish any or all of the following:

• improve the management and delivery of low-income energy services;
• target benefits to those with the highest energy burdens or the most need;
• initiate innovative administrative and programmatic improvements;
• investigate and obtain sources of supplemental, nonfederal funding;
• reduce energy consumption by program recipients;
• foster energy self-sufficiency and reduce program dependency among recipients; and
• maximize cooperative and coordinated efforts among utilities, HHS, grantees and organizations serving low-income persons.

Our overall goal is to expand and enhance information exchange on low-income energy issues with the national low-income energy network.  We will strive to make this service as timely and informative as possible, but we need your input.  We encourage you to contact us at with comments, suggestions, and questions.  Please email Kay Joslin, Sherry Vogel, Valori Mourich or telephone (888) 294-8662.

By emailing us at energyassistance@ncat.org, you will access the LIHEAP Clearinghouse's National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) project.  NEAR is a free service for persons who want information on where to apply for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which may pay a portion of the energy bills of eligible low-income persons.  Please include your city, county and state in your email message.  Or, call NEAR toll-free at 1-866-674-6327 for energy assistance referral.

STATE LOW-INCOME ENERGY PROFILES
The profiles present a capsule view of each state’s key LIHEAP characteristics, as well as details of its non-federal low-income energy programs (state- and utility-funded, and charitable). The profiles differ from the state tables in this section, in that individual tables provide a state-by-state comparison of characteristics.

 AL | AK | AZ | AR | CA | CO | CT | DC | DE | FL | GA | HI | ID | IL | IN | IA | KS | KY | LA | ME | MD | MA | MI | MN | MS | MO | MT | NE | NV | NH | NJ | NM | NY | NC | ND | OH | OK | OR | PA | RI |
SC | SD | TN | TX | UT | VT | VA | WA | WV | WI | WY