Home Assistance
Utility Bill Assistance
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a heat and electric assistance program through the state of Illinois that is a benefit payment program, per heating season, that is intended to help with a portion of a qualified household’s heating and electric costs. The benefit amount depends on household size, income and energy costs where the benefit is applied as a credit directly to the household’s Egyptian Electric Cooperative account. Qualifications are based on income and household size, if your household’s combined income is at or below the levels designated each year. To apply for assistance, go to helpillinoisfamilies.com for the online application or contact your local administering agency at the applicable phone number below. Applications for each LIHEAP season are available through May 31 typically, or until funding is exhausted.
Are you eligible? If your household income is within 200% of the federal poverty level for the 30 days prior to the application (gross income for all household members, before taxes are deducted) you could be eligible.
How to apply, visit: How To Apply – Utility Bill Assistance
To find your local action agency office, visit: Local Administering Agencies – Community Action Agencies
Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP)
Funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Energy and the State of Illinois, WAP helps low-income families in Illinois who live at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. Weatherization program operators employ a wide array of testing devices to determine how the most energy can be saved and install energy-saving materials such as efficient furnaces, insulation, etc. The average WAP participant is able to lower their annual energy bill by more than $300 per year. To learn more, contact your local community action agency.
The WAP makes energy-related improvements on the homes of low-income households using the most advanced technologies and testing protocols available in the residential energy-efficiency industry. The WAP works on all types of housing, including single-family homes, multi-family units, and mobile homes. Program services are free of charge to qualified applicants, providing both short and long-term energy savings, as well as increased comfort in the weatherized homes. The WAP has been weatherizing homes since the late 1970s, having made energy-efficiency improvements to more than 7.4 million homes nationwide. Workers receive thorough and ongoing training on state-of-the-art diagnostic tools and installation techniques utilized by the program to maximize the benefits to program recipients.
The health and safety of each family is a priority. The energy auditor and the work crew do various tests to ensure that any combustion appliances, like furnaces and hot water heaters, are operating safely and that the energy repairs will not cause any potential health of safety problems. This guide will help you understand what you can expect when getting your home weatherized. (Source: A Guide to the Weatherization Assistance Program)
Other references and more information can be found at: