12 May Help with Energy Bills for Low Income Families
Local families struggling to pay their home energy bills may be able to turn to a federal program that recently received additional funding under the $2.2 trillion CARES Act.
The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program recently received an additional $900 million under the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) stimulus package, an allotment a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Administration for Children and Families said has not yet been awarded.
Shawn Stafford, the outreach coordinator for the LIHEAP program at the Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency, estimated that he’s seen a 65% increase from March to April in the number of applications handed out across the eight county region that the organization serves. There is an income requirement for the program, which varies depending on household size.
Due to COVID-19, the agency is asking that people apply online at www.uethda.org. They can also call the central office, 423-246-6180, for assistance.