LIHEAP to begin accepting applications July 8
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas are reminding Arkansans that financial assistance for their electricity bills will soon be available.
Starting July 8, on a first-come first served basis, residential households can apply for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) through the network community-based action agencies that serve the county in which they live in.
LIHEAP – a federal block grant program – is designed to lower the energy burden from low-income households, who pay a high proportion of household income for home energy costs, by paying benefits for home energy bills. The program assists households with both heating costs during the winter and cooling costs during the summer.
Arkansas LIHEAP offers two types of benefit payments:
1. Regular: A one-time payment based on the household income and the number of household members.
2. Crisis: A one-time payment if you are facing disconnection, have a past due balance or the bill is prepaid for less than seven days.
During the 2023 summer program 44,278 Arkansans were served while 46,121 were served during the 2023 winter program according to the Arkansas Department of Energy and Environment (ADEE).
A total of $27 million was allocated to this year’s program and ADEE said about half was spent during the winter program.
The following chart can help determine if a household is eligible for LIHEAP assistance: https://www.adeq.state.ar.us/energy/initiatives/pdfs/LIHEAP_Eligibility_Chart.pdf
Households can find their community-based organization to apply for LIHEAP here:
The Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas comprise 17 electric distribution cooperatives; Arkansas Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (AECI), a Little Rock-based cooperative that provides various services to the distribution cooperatives; and Arkansas Electric Cooperative Corp. (AECC), a generation and transmission cooperative. The distribution cooperatives provide electricity to approximately 600,000 members, or customers, in Arkansas and surrounding states.