Old Man Winter is definitely here. As temperatures drop, home-heating bills tend to climb, putting a strain on many household budgets. 

Every year, hundreds of thousands of families across the state apply for help to heat their homes through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

LIHEAP offers two types of grants and the amount of each type of grant depends on income, household size, type of heating fuel and region of the state. Cash grants help families pay regular monthly heating bills. Crisis grants are also available to pay for heating emergencies such as a broken furnace, a fuel shortage, or utility service shutoff.

To qualify, a household of one can earn up to $16,755; a family of four can earn up to $34,575 and qualify. LIHEAP cash grants do not have to be paid back. To apply, you will need the names of every person living in your household, their dates of birth, Social Security numbers and proof of income, and a recent heating bill.

Please note families do not have to be on cash assistance to qualify for LIHEAP, and can receive assistance even if they have not missed a payment on a heating bill. Both homeowners and renters can qualify.