SIDNEY – The Ohio Development Services Agency reminded Ohioans that assistance is available to help with their home energy bills.

The Home Energy Assistance Program helps Ohioans at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines pay their heating bills.

Applied directly to the customer’s utility or bulk fuel bill, the benefit can help manage heating costs. Ohioans can visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov to apply online, download a copy of the application or find contact information for a local Energy Assistance Provider. When applying, individuals need to have copies of the following documents:

• Most recent utility bills.

• A list of all household members (including birth dates and Social Security numbers).

• Proof of income for the past 30 days for all household members (12 months for certain income types).

• Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members.

• Proof of disability (if applicable).

HEAP benefits are applied to an individual’s energy bill after Jan. 1. Applications for the HEAP program must be received by May 31, 2021.

This is not an emergency program. Low-income households that have been disconnected (or have a pending disconnection notice) need to establish new service, need to pay to transfer service, have 25% (or less) of bulk fuel supply remaining or have a household member who was diagnosed with COVID-19 in 2020 may also be eligible for the HEAP Winter Crisis Program, which starts on Nov. 1, 2020. If you need immediate assistance with your energy bills, contact your local EAP. A list of providers can be found at www.energyhelp.ohio.gov.

Applications for the HEAP Winter Crisis Program must be received by March 31, 2021. For more information on HEAP, visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or call 800-282-0880. Hearing-impaired customers can dial 711 for assistance.