Low-Income Energy Programs
Federal| State/Local | Utility | Charitable
Federal
LIHEAP Contact:
Public Inquiries: 833-711-0374
Website
LIHEAP Administering Agency Contacts
Find your local agency
Weatherization Assistance Program
Local Administering Agency Contacts
Website
LIHEAP FY 2024 Funding
$194,579,881
*including additional $5,301,176 from Infrastructure and Jobs Act (IIJA), (Pub. L. 117-58)
LIHEAP Income Eligibility Level
150% Federal Poverty Level
LIHEAP FY 2024 Benefit
Heating: $170 minimum, $2,020 maximum
Crisis: Winter $1,200 maximum
LIHEAP Households Served in FY 2023
Heating: 155,770
Winter Crisis: 36,395
Weatherization: 2,773
LIHEAP Program Dates
Heating: October 1 - August 31
Crisis: October 1 - August 31
Weatherization: July 1 - September 30
State/Local
Low-Income Rate Assistance and Energy Efficiency
Effective 1998, the Supplemental Low-Income Energy Assistance Fund (SLEAF) was authorized through electric utility restructuring legislation. The law directed gas and electric utilities to assess a monthly surcharge from customers and deposit it into a state fund, which the General Assembly appropriates yearly to the state Department of Commerce and Community Affairs, the LIHEAP and weatherization grantee.
Annually, about 80 percent of the fund, $65 million, goes for low-income bill payment assistance, and 10 percent, about $7.6 million, supplements the state’s weatherization program. LIHEAP makes payments from the fund directly to utilities. SLEAF funds may be used only for assistance to low-income customers of the utilities that assess the surcharge.
City Of Chicago
Emergency Housing Assistance Program
Emergency repair grants are available to qualified low-income homeowners. This may include repair or replacement of heating units, emergency roof repairs and other energy saving conservation activities.
Applications are taken at the City of Chicago Department of Housing, 33 North LaSalle Street Chicago, IL 60602. You may also call 311 for more information.
Utility
Low-Income Rate Assistance
Ameren
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Under PIPP, an eligible client pays a percentage of their income, receive a monthly benefit towards their utility bill, and receive a reduction in overdue payments for every on-time payment they make by the bill due date.
To enroll in the PIPP, contact your local LIHEAP administering agency. - Warm Neighbors Cool Friends
Provides bill payment assistance for qualifying customers — the program is designed to help those who generally do not qualify for federal or state heating assistance. The program targets low- to moderate-income families and senior citizens at 150-200% of poverty.
Find an agency near you or call 1-877-411-9276.
https://www.warmneighborscoolfriends.org/apply
ComEd
- Fresh Start Services
Dedicated call center personnel help customers find energy management tools, financial assistance programs, payment options and energy efficiency measures to help manage their energy bills.
1-800-334-7661
Mon - Fri, 7am - 7pm
- Give-A-Ray
This program offers income-eligible customers the opportunity to access affordable solar energy without paying subscription fees or installing solar panels. Through ComEd's partnership with Illinois Solar for All. Give-A-Ray provides monthly bill credits
https://www.comed.com/MyAccount/CustomerSupport/Pages/PaymentAssistance.aspx
Nicor Gas
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Under PIPP, an eligible client pays a percentage of their income, receive a monthly benefit towards their utility bill, and receive a reduction in overdue payments for every on-time payment they make by the bill due date.
To enroll in the PIPP, contact your local LIHEAP administering agency. - Energy Aide Program
The Nicor Gas Energy Aide program is administered by select local agencies. Eligibile residential customers can receeive an Energy Aide Grant up to $350 toward their past due balance.
Apply at your local Community Action Agency.
Northshore Gas
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Under PIPP, an eligible client pays a percentage of their income, receive a monthly benefit towards their utility bill, and receive a reduction in overdue payments for every on-time payment they make by the bill due date.
To enroll in the PIPP, contact your local LIHEAP administering agency.
- Illinois Patriot Plan
Under the Illinois Patriot Plan, a residence where the primary occupant is on deployment and having difficulty paying their gas bill cannot be disconnected from gas service or charged any late fees for non-payment during the deployment period. However, the customer is still responsible for the full balance on the account when the deployed primary occupant returns home. This rule only applies to bills incurred during the time period when the service person is deployed, and not to previous balances.
866-556-6004
Peoples Gas
- Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP)
Under PIPP, an eligible client pays a percentage of their income, receive a monthly benefit towards their utility bill, and receive a reduction in overdue payments for every on-time payment they make by the bill due date.
To enroll in the PIPP, contact your local LIHEAP administering agency.
- Illinois Patriot Plan
Under the Illinois Patriot Plan, a residence where the primary occupant is on deployment and having difficulty paying their gas bill cannot be disconnected from gas service or charged any late fees for non-payment during the deployment period. However, the customer is still responsible for the full balance on the account when the deployed primary occupant returns home. This rule only applies to bills incurred during the time period when the service person is deployed, and not to previous balances.
866-556-6001
Mid-American Energy Company
Illinois Late Fee and Deposit Exemption
Residential Illinois customers who meet certain income levels may be exempt from late fees and deposits. Current LIHEAP customers have already been approved for this exemption. To qualify, your household income must be at 80% or less of Area Median Income for your county of residence or you must be eligible for, or currently enrolled in, a federal lifeline program.
888-427-5632
https://www.midamericanenergy.com/assistance/deposits-fees-exemption
Springfield City Water Light & Power
Senior Citizen Discount Rate
A 10% discount for customers 62 years of age or older with a total household income no greater than 275% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
For a printed application and more information view the website listed below.
217-789-2233
http://www.cwlp.com/customer/account/senior.html
Low-Income Energy Efficiency
Ameren
- Home Efficiency Income Qualified
Ameren offers enhanced energy-saving opportunities for qualified households across Illinois through a free home energy assessment.
Click here to learn more.
- Warm Neighbors Cool Friends
Shares in weatherization improvement costs for qualifying customers—the program is designed to help those who generally do not qualify for federal or state heating assistance. The program targets low- to moderate-income families and senior citizens at 200-300% of poverty. The home weatherization program typically includes basic energy-efficiency measures, such as insulation, air sealing, caulking and weather-stripping. These measures vary depending on local community initiatives. A statewide network of social service agencies and community organizations determine applicant eligibility.
Find an agency near you or call 1-877-411-9276.
https://www.warmneighborscoolfriends.org/apply
ComEd
Home Energy Savings
Find opportunities to reduce energy usage with a free energy assessment that includes free products for your home. ComEd offers in-home and virtual home energy assessments.
https://www.comed.com/MyAccount/CustomerSupport/Pages/PaymentAssistance.aspx
Emergency Charitable Assistance
Please note these charitable funds are last resort emergency funds with limited resources and limited times of operation.
Ameren
- Dollar More
Funds pay for a wide variety of home energy bills including electric, gas, oil and propane. All Dollar More contributions go to those who need help through a network of human services agencies.
Find an agency for assistance at apps.ameren.com/apps/dollarmore/Dollarmoreagencies.aspx
800-755-5000 - Warm Neighbors Cool Friends
Provides bill payment assistance for qualifying customers—the program is designed to help those who generally do not qualify for federal or state heating assistance. The program targets low- to moderate-income families and senior citizens at 150-200% of poverty. Eligible households can receive up to $700 a year to help pay for energy costs ($350 during the heating season and $350 during the cooling season.) To receive assistance, qualifying customers must first make a payment on their utility account; Warm Neighbors Cool Friends will then make a matching payment. A statewide network of social service agencies and community organizations determine applicant eligibility. Find an agency near you or call 1-888-690-5700.
http://warmneighborscoolfriends.com/ - Good Samaritan Initiative
Qualified participants can get their service restored by paying 20 percent or $250 of their remaining balance. To qualify, utility customers must have account balances too high to be covered by the state's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, but less than $3,000. The initiative is run by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
Contact your local community action agency.
Atmos Energy
Sharing the Warmth
Customer donations combine with company donations to help people pay their gas bills. All donations go directly to local people in need that meet criteria established by each individual program's guidelines.
Bond, Clinton, Marion, Washington counties: contact BCMW, 618-532-7388
Clay, Effingham, Fayette, Shelby counties contact: C.E.F.S., 217-342-2193 x143
Illinois Valley Economic Dev. Corp, 217-839-4431
Shawnee Development Council, 618-524-2941
Wabash Area Development Inc, 618-252-2680
ComEd
Your Neighbor Fund
ComEd partnered with Neighborhood Housing Services of Chicago (NHS) to help families pay their ComEd bill via a grant for income eligible customers.To qualify, customers must have an active residential ComEd account, have a past due balance, be experiencing hardship, and have an income up to 200% FPG or 80% area median income.
https://www.comed.com/MyAccount/CustomerSupport/Pages/YourNeighborFund.aspx
Mid-American Energy Company
I CARE
I CARE assists those who are unemployed, living on fixed or low incomes or experiencing a family crisis by helping pay their heating bills or making their homes more energy efficient. To qualify, customers must also meet their state's LIHEAP guidelines. 1-888-427-5632
https://www.midamericanenergy.com/payment-assistance
Nicor Gas
- Shield of Caring
The Salvation Army administers this program to help residential customers who are past-due on their Nicor Gas bill and have a financial hardship with utility bill assistance and access to supplemental basic needs programs. Customers with a household gross income in the last 30 days below 400% of the Federal Poverty Level may be eligible to receive a grant of up to $250 per program year to apply to their past-due Nicor Gas account balances.
Apply at ShieldofCaring.com
- Sharing Program
Provides one-time annual grants to qualified residential customers. Administered by the Salvation Army, the Sharing Program funded by direct contributions from Nicor Gas' customers and employees.
To receive a Sharing grant, you must meet income guidelines and apply in person at your local Salvation Army office.
https://www.nicorgas.com/en/residential/energy-assistance/sharing-program
Northshore Gas
Share the Warmth
Administered for North Shore Gas by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA), Share the Warmth provides heating grants to limited and fixed-income households. Eligible customers who make a payment toward their bills receive matching grants of up to $200.
Call the Community Action Partnership of Lake County at 847-249-4330 to make an appointment to apply.
Peoples Gas
Share the Warmth
Administered for Peoples Gas by the Community and Economic Development Association of Cook County (CEDA), Share the Warmth provides heating grants to limited and fixed-income households. Eligible customers who make a payment toward their bills receive matching grants of up to $200.
Call CEDA at 800-571-2332 or visit one of the CEDA locations.
https://www.cedaorg.net/find-services/apply-liheap/
Springfield City Water Light and Power
RELIEF
To qualify, a customer must have a delinquent CWLP bill, be able to pay a portion of it, have a total household income for the previous 90 days of no more than 150 percent of the federal poverty guidelines and have exhausted all other resources, including the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The program starts on or around December 1 of each year and runs through May or until funds are exhausted, whichever comes first.
To apply, call 789-2414 or visit http://www.cwlp.com/customer/account/billassist.html
Wayne-White Counties Electric Cooperative
WORKS
Grants are available for individuals in need and for 501(c)3 organizations. The purpose of the program is to meet a critical need that is currently not being met by any other means. Grants are limited to $2,500 for individuals and funded by customer donations. The WORKS grant program is only available to eligible member-customers of Wayne-White Electric Cooperative in southern Illinois, therefore applications from outside their customer area will not be accepted and are not eligible for assistance through the WORKS program.
618-842-2196
www.waynewhitecoop.com/pages/WORKS
