Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services (DHS) has opened enrollment for its Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which helps residents to pay heating bills during the winter.
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The LIHEAP grant helps income-eligible families to pay their heating bills. Those who receive assistance do not have to repay it.
LIHEAP offers both cash and crisis grants. Cash grants are one-time payments sent to a family’s utility company or fuel provider to help pay their heating bills. The grants range from $200 to $1,000 and are based on household size, income, and fuel type.
Crisis grants are available for families experiencing an emergency situation involving the loss of heat. Families can receive more than one crisis grant, if necessary, until a maximum of $1,000 is reached. Crisis situations include:
Broken heating equipment or leaking lines
Lack of fuel
Gas or electric service that has been shut off
Danger of being without fuel within 15 days or have received a shut-off notice for gas or electric services.
How to Apply
To receive help, families can apply through the COMPASS homepage, by visiting the state’s LIHEAP page, calling the statewide LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095, or by visiting a local county assistance office.
The 2026-2027 LIHEAP season opened on Monday, November 2.
Those who apply do not need to be on public assistance or to have an unpaid heating bill. Applicants can either rent or own their home.
Those applying will need to provide:
The names of people in their household
Dates of birth for all household members
Social Security numbers for all household members
Proof of income for all household members
A recent heating bill