More low-income families can get help with heating bills

MISSOURI – More low-income families are eligible for assistance with their heating bills.

The federally-funded program providing help is called the Low-Income Home Energy Assitance Program. Or, LIHEAP for short.

The government has doubled the income cap and benefit amount for people to get help through LIHEAP. The program is open to all households beginning Dec. 1. and goes through May.

Are you eligible for LIHEAP services? They have provided an overview of eligibility guidelines here.

Looking for help with your home energy bills? Click here for contact information in your state or tribe. You can also call the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline at 1-866-674-6327.

Spire Gas Company helps Residents Sign Up for Heating Bill Assistance

In Missouri, Spire is partnering with community action agencies across the state to help customers sign up for the program.

The energy provider is hosting in-person sessions and interactive webinars to help guide customers through the application process. The next webinar is Thursday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m.

According to the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition, in 2020, nearly 700,000 households in Missouri qualified for LIHEAP, 200,000 more households than in 2019. However, only 16% of those who qualified received help in 2020, a little more than 100,000 families.

To register for a webinar, visit Spireenergy.com/community-events. The remaining webinar schedule is:

• Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, 1- 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 6, 2022, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, 1 – 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, 1 – 2 p.m.

You can learn about LIHEAP and other Spire-sponsored energy assistance programs here.

Related Articles

You can find more resources for help in the 4-state area in the following articles.

• White House offering more aid for winter heat, utility bills
• Cold Weather Rule helps keep the heat on in extreme weather
• Energy costs are up. What this means for your heating bills

COPYRIGHT 2022 BY KOAM NEWS NOW. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.