LIHEAP Mission: Distribute federal funds to low-income households to help pay their home energy bills and provide emergency energy assistance.
We help pay heating costs for people living in Washington State of every age, race, gender, and level of education who are income eligible.
LIHEAP receives money from a federal block grant. Our goal is to distribute these funds to households in need as efficiently as possible. We distribute the money through our member agencies—dedicated people who live and work in the communities they serve—in all Washington counties.
In the 2008-2009 heating season we were able to help 104,374 Washington households pay their heating/energy costs. But that represents approximately 35% of eligible households! When the money is gone, we’re done. So, if you need assistance, apply right away.
It’s pretty simple. We help households living at or below 125% of federal poverty guidelines. Your local LIHEAP agency will count how many people live in your household (this includes everyone even multiple households within one house) and verify the income of each person. For an eligible household, we calculate the award amount based on additional criteria:
- Type of housing
- Type of heating
- Annual heat costs
Awards can range from $25 to $1,000.
Once you apply and are approved, we’ll notify you of your award amount. We'll give this information to your utility company and the award will be applied to your bill. If your need is critical, we’ll work with you and your utility company help to get you the help you need.