Ohio HEAP Program

Winter in Ohio can be very cold. Heating prices continue to soar while the income stays the same. Ohio has a HEAP program that people can utilize to get help with their heating costs. Many Ohioans use this program each year to help them keep warm throughout the winter season. However, there are some who do not know about this government assistance with heating costs or they think their income is too much to qualify. This is not always so. For example of family of 3 making $600 a week could still qualify for HEAP and EHEAP.

All you ave to do is fill out one Energy Assistance application and with this application you may apply for several federally or state funded energy assistance programs at the Office of Community Services: the Home Energy Assistance Program HEAP, the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program EHEAP and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan PIPP. PIPP is where you're heating source electric or Natural Gas is put on a monthly plan based on your income and in the winter season you pay the PIPP payment which is lower than what you actually would pay normally. Then in the summer you pay the actual cost of your monthly bill.

The Energy Assistance application can also be used to apply for the Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) this program helps by doing things to make your home warmer and they give you energy saving light bulbs, they will also test your stove and refrigerator and if they use to much power they will give you new ones. You do however have to agree to let them take your old appliances.

A special section of HEAP is the Emergency Home Energy Assistance Program E-HEAP. The E-HEAP is administered by the local agencies. This is usually your local Community Action.