Help with heating bills available through LIHEAP

With wintry weather right around the corner, heating help is available for those in need.

The federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance program — known as LIHEAP — has $185 million available to help thousands of Pennsylvania home owners, renters, roomers and subsidized housing tenants, according to Ben Armstrong of PECO.

“These are customers who are considered low income and do not exceed 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines,” he said.

That works out to $36,450 for a family of four. A family in that income bracket could qualify for $500 to $1,000 in assistance, but Armstrong said that aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

The LIHEAP program provides cash and crisis assistance by a direct payment to a vendor, such as  PECO. LIHEAP also has money allocated for emergencies including reinstating service that has been shut off for nonpayment, fuel payments, and repairing leaking pipes and broken furnaces.

“You can apply at PECO.com/help. We have a form you can download and fill out and return, or you can call us at [1-800-344-3574] and we’ll be glad to help each and every customer fill out their LIHEAP form and submit it on their behalf,” Armstrong said.

About 40,000 PECO customers received grants last year.