Utility assistance applications open for low-income Illinoisans

[November 02, 2024]  By Andrew Adams

The state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program is accepting applications for all households beginning Friday, Nov. 1. The program offers financial assistance for utility bills to low-income families. Other discounts are also available, even if someone is not enrolled in LIHEAP.

Applications opened on Oct. 1 for adults age 60 and older, individuals with a disability, families with children under age 5, and households that are disconnected from their utilities or energy vendors, have a disconnect date within seven days or whose propane tanks are less than 25% full.

Community action agencies – the local organizations which administer LIHEAP – accept applications on a first-come, first-served basis through the middle of August, although applications will close earlier if funds run out, so those interested in applying should do so sooner rather than later.

Households with incomes lower than double the federal poverty level are eligible for the program. That works out to $2,510 in a 30-day period for individuals, $3,407 for households with two members, $4,303 for households with three individuals and higher for larger households. Higher income thresholds are available at the state’s Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity website.

Changes in 2024
Beginning in October, natural gas utilities implemented a new set of bill discounts for low-income customers, after being required to do so by state regulators at the Illinois Commerce Commission.

An Ameren Illinois meter. (Capitol News Illinois photo by Jennifer Fuller)

These discounts are available for any household under three times the federal poverty level. Those who receive LIHEAP assistance are automatically eligible for the new discounts and will be enrolled automatically, but those making between two and three times the poverty level and those who are not enrolled in LIHEAP can apply for these new discounts directly with their utility.

Utility bills for those enrolled in the discount program will be lowered by 5% for those in the highest eligible income bracket to between 75% and 83% for those making less than half of the federal poverty level, depending on the utility company.

“Families shouldn’t have to decide between putting food on the table or heating their homes this winter,” ICC Chairman Doug Scott said in a news release. “The state’s new Low-Income Discount Rates will make it easier for low-income families to manage their gas bills.”

All households that meet the income requirements for these discounts can receive the new rates.

Similar programs offering low-income discounts for water and electric utility bills are expected to be offered in 2025, according to the ICC.

Capitol News Illinois is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service that distributes state government coverage to hundreds of news outlets statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation.