LIHEAP applications open to help families with electric bills

Applications for summer energy assistance open through September 12

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC 36 NEWS NOW) — With Lexington heading into another week of sweltering temperatures, one local organization is helping residents find some financial relief through a federal assistance program.

The city is extending its heat plan to provide support during the extreme weather, and Community Action Council is also stepping up, this time to cool down the strain on electric bills.

It’s part of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP.

“Without LIHEAP I think a lot more people will find themselves struggle, LIHEAP is an incredibly important program for the nation, it’s an incredibly important program for Kentuckians,” said Sarah Hill, Community Development Manager at Community Action Council.

Officials say the LIHEAP summer subsidy program offers a one-time electric payment made directly to a resident’s utility company. However, applicants must meet eligibility requirements, including income thresholds.

“We do tens of thousands of applications every year across the entire state, my agency alone does about 2,500 a season,” Hill said. “We’re seeing more and more people struggling, people who would have been higher income years ago are now finding themselves strapped for cash in a way they never were before,” said Hill.

As the hot weather continues across the Bluegrass, Hill said the assistance can be a lifeline for many households nearing the end of their monthly budgets.

“It’s incredibly important to remember that when people are on a razors edge this is the kind of thing they may let slide and we can’t allow that happen for them,” Hill said.

Applications for LIHEAP opened Monday and will close September 12. More information on qualifications and how to apply can be found here.