Heating Assistance Available
The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services and Buckeye Hills Regional Council remind older Ohioans that assistance is available to help with home energy bills. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) helps Ohioans at or below 175% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines for a household of up to seven members and 60% of State Median Income for a household of eight or more members to pay their heating bills.
Applied directly to the customer’s utility or bulk fuel bill, the benefit can help manage heating costs. Older Ohioans may visit their local Area Agency on Aging office for help assembling the required documents and completing their HEAP application. They may also visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov to apply online or to download a copy of the application.
When applying, individuals need to have copies of the following documents:
- Most recent utility bills,
- A list of all household members (including birth dates and Social Security numbers,
- Proof of income for the past 30 days for all household members (12 months for certain income types,
- Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members,
- Proof of disability (if applicable).
For more information or assistance with applying for a HEAP benefit, contact Buckeye Hills Regional Council by calling 740-374-9436 or 1-800-331-2644, or by emailing info@buckeyehills.org.
To locate your local Energy Assistance Provider, visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov.