Applications for heating assistance available

With a decided chill in the air, heaters are kicking on and that means rising utility bills. Now is the time for those in need to apply for help paying those bills.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, is accepting applications with help from your local utility.

Many city residents who are eligible for assistance don’t apply, said Doug Oliver of Philadelphia Gas Works.

“Last year, we only received about 66,000 applications, so there’s roughly 84,000 to  85,000 LIHEAP-eligible customers who did not take advantage of the grant,” he said.

Those grants are awarded on a first-come-first-served basis, and Oliver said PGW is trying to spread the word differently this year.

“Anybody who has a cell phone can text the word grant to 95997 and get information about the LIHEAP program, including eligibility,” he said.

A family of four earning up to about $35,000 may be eligible.