House & Apartment

For Illinois residents struggling to pay their heating bills, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) can help. LIHEAP helps low-income households pay for utilities. LIHEAP is available regardless of immigrant status. 

The utilities covered by LIHEAP include heat, gas, and electric. Learn more about qualifying and applying for LIHEAP.

When you qualify for LIHEAP, the program: 

• Limits when you may be charged a deposit,
• Lowers the maximum deposit payment,
• Gives you more time to pay if you do have to pay a deposit,  
• Eliminates late payment fees,
• Reduces the maximum required down payment amount for payment arrangements, and 
• Increases the minimum number of months for payment arrangements. 

Types of LIHEAP assistance

The LIHEAP program offers 6 kinds of help to income-eligible households:

• Direct Vendor Payment (DVP): You must pay your own utilities. This includes gas, electricity, liquid propane, and oil. Assistance is a one-time payment to the utility company. If utilities are included in your rent, the amount must be more than 30% of the total household income.
• Emergency Services (ES): This applies to weather-related natural disaster. 
  Emergency Service payments are provided. Funds are only provided to the extent that funds are available. Payment is typically limited to reconnect utilities. You may only receive an ES grant once during a program year for a particular utility.
• Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP):  This is for select providers. It applies to Ameren Illinois, ComEd, Nicor Gas, and Peoples Gas/North Shore Gas. You pay a percentage of your income. Then you receive a monthly benefit toward your utility bill. You also receive a reduction in overdue payments. This is based on every on-time payment you make by the due date. Learn more about the PIPP program.
• Reconnection Assistance (RA): This will help reconnect your heating. It also helps with fuel suppliers refusing delivery. It helps if you are disconnected or receive notice of disconnect. You may receive aid. But, you must have made an effort to maintain energy service. Or, you must have paid a portion of the reconnection assistance. You may receive RA for both your primary and secondary energy source. For example, you have both gas and electric. In the same year you may receive one RA payment for your gas bill and one RA payment for your electric bill. 
• Furnace Assistance (FA): This helps if you do not have an operating furnace or heater. You must qualify for reconnection assistance. You may receive FA to restore your heat source. This includes tune-up, repair, or replacement.
• Home Weatherization Program (HWP): The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) helps low income residents and households conserve fuel and reduce energy costs. It makes homes and apartments more energy efficient.
• Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP): The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program (LIHWAP) provides eligible households with up to $400 for water and wastewater services based on poverty level. Households facing the threat of disconnection, or those that have already been disconnected, may be eligible for a benefit of up to $1,500.  You will apply for Low Income Household Water Assistance (LIHWAP) at the same time you complete your current LIHEAP application.