How and Where to Get Help Paying Your Utility Bill in Southern Indiana

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a major impact on nearly every facet of our lives since cases first started popping up in the Tri-State in late March. Many residents found themselves out of work, or furloughed, as their places of employment were partially or completely shut down leaving them without a steady income which has made paying monthly bills like those for utilities extremely difficult. Fortunately, the state of Indiana does offer an assistance program for those who need it, and each county has a location where you go to request it.

The "Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program" (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded program available through the Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority, and has been around long before the pandemic began. It offers "a one-time benefit that can assist you with the high cost of home energy." It won't pay your bill entirely, but it will help cover some of the cost to help you use the money you save for other necessities. It should be noted the Development Authority does say on its website the "benefit won't cover all of your heating and electrics costs, so you should continue to pay your bills regularly."

The benefit does have the eligibility requirements listed below:

Applications for assistance can be done online through the Authority's website, or by contacting the agency responsible for your county. Here's who that is for the counties in our listening area, listed in alphabetical order by county.

[Source: Indiana Housing & Community Development Authority]

If you live in western Kentucky, assistance is available to you as well through Audubon Area Community Services. Find out more here.

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