CHEYENNE (WNE) — As temperatures begin to drop in Wyoming, now is the time for residents to apply for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program before the April 30 deadline.

LIEAP, administered by the Wyoming Department of Family Services and funded through a federal block grant, pays a portion of winter heating bills for eligible households and helps in crisis heating situations, such as a broken furnace or a pending utility shutoff. 

Apply at lieapwyo.org or call 1-800-246-4221.

During the 2024-25 season, the program provided aid to 8,317 Wyoming households, with an average benefit of $732. So far this heating season, LIEAP has helped 5,414 households with a total of $1.5 million in assistance.

The need for such energy assistance remains significant in Wyoming. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 42% of Wyoming households have had to choose between paying an energy bill and buying basic necessities like food or medicine in the last year; 31% kept their home at an unsafe or unhealthy temperature; and 27% were unable to pay an energy bill during the same period.

Wyoming households must meet LIEAP income requirements, with a limit of up to 60% of the state’s median income. For instance, a four-person household must have an annual income of $68,902 or less. 

The program helps both homeowners and renters, including those in permanently parked RVs. Households with elderly members (age 60+), individuals with disabilities and families with children under 5 receive priority consideration.