Partners for Warmth urge natural gas customers to apply for LIHEAP grants during April extension
Western Pennsylvania’s natural gas utilities recently announced the extension of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) for the 2014-2015 winter heating season.
The federally funded program was slated to end on April 3. However, Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf extended the application deadline until May 1.
“We applaud Governor Wolf for taking this important step extending the LIHEAP application process through the month of April,” said Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania President Mark Kempic. “Due to the harsh winter and below average temperatures, many individuals and families in Pennsylvania may have experienced higher than normal winter heating bills. This extension will permit customers who have not yet applied for a LIHEAP grant to seek help in paying a winter heating bill. We urge customers who have not yet applied for a LIHEAP grant to apply now and prior to May 1.
“There are times in life when we all need some help and assistance from our neighbors and friends. It’s not a sign of weakness or failure, but rather, it’s how a community is supposed to work,” said Morgan O’Brien, President and CEO of Peoples Natural Gas. “The extension of the LIHEAP deadline provides more of our neighbors and friends with additional time to get some help with paying their heating bill. This important program assists families who are facing challenges with their household budgets by providing a grant toward heating costs. It helps make one headache go away for many of these folks. Please tell any family, friends or neighbors who are facing challenges and may be struggling to make ends meet after this long winter about LIHEAP. And, encourage them to apply by May 1.”
LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services which helps income-eligible families pay winter heating costs. The program provides a one-time grant to assist with paying home heating bills.
Eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP change, and customers who may not have been eligible in the past are encouraged to reapply. For the 2014-2015 winter heating season, the income eligibility limit is 150 percent of federal poverty income guidelines. This means that a family of four cannot exceed an annual income of $35,775 to be eligible. The minimum grant for the heating season is $100.
Customers are encouraged to apply online through the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania’s Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at www.compass.state.pa.us.
For additional details about LIHEAP and other assistance programs, customers can contact their natural gas company by calling one of the following numbers:
n Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania: 1-800-272-2714
n Peoples Natural Gas: 1-800-400-9276
n Peoples, formerly Equitable Gas: 412-208-6850
n Peoples TWP: 1-800-222-5101
To apply, the utility customer must provide the following information: Names of all people in the household; birth dates for all people in the household; social security numbers for all members of the household; proof of income for all members of the household; and a copy of a recent heating bill.
For more than two decades, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania, Peoples Natural Gas and Peoples TWP have promoted LIHEAP in the Pittsburgh area with the goal of helping low-income customers afford their winter heating bills.