LIHEAP, which stands for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, helps families living on low incomes pay their heating bills in the form of grants. With the heating season approaching and oil prices remaining high, we wanted to share this information from LIHEAP so that customers know how to get assistance.
General Information
The LIHEAP Client Helpline is for customers to request an application or check its status: 1-866-857-7095.
The season opens on Monday, November 4th, 2024, and is expected to close on Friday, April 4th, 2025. Online applications for last year’s LIHEAP recipients for the 2024-25 LIHEAP Season will be accepted beginning Monday, August 26th. Paper applications will be mailed to last season’s LIHEAP recipients in August/September. Only these pre-season applications can be submitted before November 4th, 2024. Grants for processed applications will be issued in October, associated with federal funding.
Customers who received a LIHEAP grant last season will receive a 2024/25 LIHEAP application or COMPASS postcard in the mail before the start of the new season. These documents have a COMPASS registration number that allows only these customers to apply online before the start of the season.
Customers who didn't receive LIHEAP last season may request an application on or after November 4th by: applying online at www.compass.state.pa.us (on or after November 4th, 2024), contacting their local County Assistance Office (CAO) by phone or in person, or calling the LIHEAP Client Helpline at 1-866-857-7095.
Cash Grants
- A household receives only one regular LIHEAP Cash grant per heating season.
- 2024-25 Cash grants range from $200 minimum to $1,000 maximum based on region, the household's annual income, heating type, and the number of people living in the home.
- A vendor must apply LIHEAP Cash grant credits issued (Treasury Pay Date) on/before the date of the LIHEAP Crisis pledge toward a LIHEAP crisis delivery.
Crisis Grants
All requests for a Crisis must be made by the customer to the County Assistance Office (CAO). The Bucks County CAO phone number is 215-781-3393 or 1-800-616-6481 (toll-free). Montgomery County CAO is 610-272-1752. Philadelphia County CAO is 215-560-1583.
- 2024-25 Crisis grants range from $25 up to a season maximum of $1000.
- Eligibility is based on the existence of a heating emergency where the household is without heat or is within 15 days of being without heat caused by lack of fuel or utility termination.
- Customers who are on automatic delivery may receive help with LIHEAP Crisis if they contact their CAO to express a need for help with LIHEAP Crisis before an automated delivery resolves their emergency.
- All requests for a Crisis grant must be made by the customer to a CAO.
- Crisis grants are authorized based on the amount needed to resolve a specific emergency such as preventing termination of a utility service or the quantity of fuel needed to fill the tank one time.
- The maximum Crisis $ available to the customer will be provided by the CAO at the time of the pledge.
- A customer who applied for a LIHEAP Cash grant does not need to submit a separate application for a Crisis grant unless the customer moved or a new person moved into the household.
- A customer may be eligible to receive several Crisis authorizations during the season if they encounter a heating emergency multiple-times. The combined total may not exceed the season maximum of $1000.
Important notes
LIHEAP customers must request help from LIHEAP Crisis funds from a CAO and a CAO representative must contact a vendor to authorize LIHEAP Crisis every time a request is made.
LIHEAP Crisis will not pay for a delivery that was not authorized by the CAO or if the heating emergency is resolved before a CAO representative contacts the vendor to authorize a Crisis payment.
If you live in the Delaware Valley/Greater Philadelphia area and would like to find comfort within your home, visit our website or give us a call at 215 - 245 - 3200 to learn more.
