Home Energy Assistance

BRAD Low Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP)

How LIHEAP Works:

The Home Energy Assistance Program helps low-income households with home energy costs by administering Regular Assistance and Crisis Intervention Programs. Each program provides financial assistance to eligible households with a one-time per year payment to the household’s energy supplier or, under certain circumstances, to the applicant. The Crisis Intervention Program provides assistance to eligible households facing energy-related emergencies.

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides payments for utilities used in heating for electricity, natural gas, wood, or propane (Winter) and in cooling for electricity (Summer), directly to the utility companies, allowing low-income families to heat or cool their homes.

Program Requirements:

In order to qualify for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of Randolph, Clay or Lawrence County and you must meet eligibility requirements for home energy costs. The Low-Income Home Energy Program is available elsewhere, but BRAD administers it for these counties only.

In order to qualify, you must have a monthly household income (before taxes) that is less than or equal to the following amounts:

For households required to apply for assistance on form DCO-9495, income eligibility will be determined by comparing the household’s monthly countable income with the income eligibility chart above. The income limits are set at 60% of the state’s median imcome level.

1. For each household member over the household size of 20, add $94.00 to the maximum monthly countable income.
2. Monthly countable income is not rounded when using the eligibility chart. If the household monthly countable income is $.01 over the amount shown for the household size, the household is ineligable for assistance(section 6341).

A person who participates or has family members who participate in certain other benefit programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) or certain needs-tested Veterans benefits may be automatically eligible.

Please call 870-892-4547 for Randolph County, 870-857-8054 for Clay County, or 870-886-5461 for Lawrence County, to schedule an appointment.

Applications are accepted Mondays and Tuesdays from 8:30am to 12:00 noon and from 1:00pm to 3:30pm. If your work schedule interferes with your application, you may send someone with all needed documents and a signed letter giving your permission for that person to apply on your behalf.

We need proof of how you have been paying your bills.  If someone has helped you, we need a statement completed from each person who helped you in the previous month by contributing to your household income.

The Low-Income Energy Assistance Program provides payments for utilities used in heating for electricity, natural gas, wood, or propane (Winter) and in cooling for electricity (Summer), directly to the utility companies, allowing low income families to heat or cool their homes.