LOUISVILLE, Ky. — As the temperatures plummet around this time of year, the energy bills shoot up. For people who may struggle to pay their energy bills during the cold weather, LIHEAP wants to help pay the bill.
The Low Income Home Energy Program (LIHEAP) is a federally-funded program that helps more than 25,000 people in Jefferson County every year, according to LIHEAP supervisor Brandon O'Neal.
To qualify for the program, a person needs to provide proof that he or she is a resident of Jefferson County and documentation of proof of all household income along with the most recent heating bill or statement from a landlord or utility company. People cannot exceed certain set maximum gross monthly incomes based on the number of people per household.
Once a person qualifies, LIHEAP will send a pledge directly to the utility company.
"A lot of people are having to choose between sometimes keeping food on their table or heating their homes or even their medication and they have to select one of the three," O'Neal said.
Shannon Young said she received assistance from LIHEAP three years ago, but after losing her job this past October, she decided to come back to get some help.
"We're all at a point sometimes when we're struggling," she said. "Nothing's easy. I'm a single parent and I have a senior and I have a 5th grader - she's going into middle school, so I'm too blessed to be stressed about it. I just have to figure out how to make it work."
With the winter weather hitting this week, Young applied for help at the South Central Community Center.
"I was thinking it was going to be like a bad experience," she said. "Everybody was nice. It was really easy."
O'Neal said the funding LIHEAP received this year should be enough to where they not only most likely will not need to turn people away, the program is actively looking for more participants. He said one of the biggest barriers is simply that people do not know about the program and whether they qualify for it.
Young said she believes many people choose not to seek help because they do not feel comfortable, but she is encouraging people to take advantage of the program.
"I say don't be ashamed of it," she said. "It's our lives and we all are going through things, so you have to just ask for help."
LIHEAP's subsidy phase will continue through Dec. 13, which is open to all Jefferson County residents who qualify under the 2019-2020 income guidelines. The subsidy phase will give people a one-time benefit.
The crisis phase runs from Jan. 6 through March 31 or until the funding runs out. During this phase, people who qualify under the income guidelines and meet one of four other requirements (received disconnect notice, received current bill with a past due amount, received an evction notice or are within four days of running out of bulk fuel) will be eligible for up to $400 pending the availability of funding.
People interested in applying for LIHEAP assistance should first make an appointment by either calling 502-991-8391 or applying online at louisvilleky.cascheduler.com.
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