April 28, 2017 – Low-income Coloradans that are struggling to pay their home energy bills can apply to the Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) through this weekend, but after that they can seek help from the nonprofit Energy Outreach Colorado.
LIEAP does not accept applications from May 1 through October 31 each year. Lawmakers in Colorado created Energy Outreach Colorado (EOC) about 30 years ago in an attempt to raise additional funds through organizations and individuals to provide additional help to local low-income seniors and families.
Since its inception, EOC has invested more than $255 million in programs to reduce energy costs for low-income Coloradans. This includes emergency furnace repair, energy bill payment assistance, and installing energy-efficient equipment in affordable housing and non-profits. EOC made 19,177 payments last year to prevent households from having their heat and electricity from being disconnected.
Eileen, a Denver resident who received assistance from EOC in 2016, said in the Colorado MENAFN editorial, “Without energy assistance, I would have been devastated. I was definitely at a point in my life where I needed assistance.”
EOC provides bill payment assistance through more than 100 community organizations across Colorado. Payments are made directly to the customer’s utility company to pay a portion of a low-income household’s overdue bill.
