If heating or electric bills have been piling up along with everything else, Pennsylvania’s free LIHEAP program was built for exactly this moment.
You’re not alone if a stack of past-due heating or electric bills has been sitting on the counter along with everything else. When money’s already stretched thin, it doesn’t take much for a utility bill to slip behind — and once one bill piles up, it’s easy for the worry to spread to everything else, including the mortgage. If that’s where you are right now, there’s a real, no-cost program built for exactly this: LIHEAP.
What LIHEAP Actually Is
LIHEAP stands for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (the technical name — in plain terms, it’s Pennsylvania’s free help with home heating and electric bills). It’s a federally funded, state-run program that can help eligible homeowners pay for heat, cover part of an electric bill, and in some cases repair or replace a broken furnace. It is not a loan. There’s nothing to pay back, and applying does not affect your credit or your mortgage.
Who It’s For
LIHEAP is based on household size and income — not on how far behind you are on anything else, and not tied to your mortgage status. Homeowners across Bucks, Montgomery, Delaware, and Chester counties, and in Philadelphia, apply every year. It’s simply underused, because most people don’t hear about it until a neighbor or counselor mentions it.
How It Works
- Check if you qualify. Eligibility is based on household size and gross monthly income — more working families and people on fixed incomes qualify than expect to.
- Apply online or by mail through the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services’ COMPASS system, or in person at your county assistance office.
- There are two levels of help: a standard cash grant paid toward your heating bill, and — if you’re facing a shut-off notice or have no heat at all — a Crisis LIHEAP grant that can move faster.
- If the furnace itself is the problem, ask about LIHEAP’s crisis heating-system repair or replacement benefit.
Free Resources to Start With
- LIHEAP application help: Apply through COMPASS or your county assistance office — a caseworker can walk you through it at no cost.
- PA 211: If you’re not sure LIHEAP is the right fit, dial 211 or visit pa211.org. A local specialist can point you to LIHEAP, weatherization help, or other utility assistance in your county.
- PHFA housing counselors: If falling behind on utilities is tangled up with falling behind on the mortgage too, a free HUD-approved housing counselor through PHFA can look at the whole picture with you — not just one bill.
A Parallel Path, If It Helps
If keeping the house is starting to feel like more than you can manage — on top of the mortgage, on top of the bills — that’s a separate, bigger conversation, and it’s one we’re glad to have. While LIHEAP or a housing counselor helps you stabilize month to month, we can quietly explore what your other options look like, on your timeline, with no pressure either way.
You Have Options, and You’re Not Out of Time
A past-due utility bill feels urgent, but it isn’t a countdown. Pennsylvania built LIHEAP because this situation is common — you’re not the only one calling, and you won’t be judged for needing it.
Hablamos español. Si prefiere hablar en español sobre LIHEAP o cualquier otra opción, escríbanos — Glen o Brie pueden ayudarle en su idioma.
Next step: Schedule your free, pressure-free Strategy Session at WayOutNow.com — whether it’s utility bills, the mortgage, or both weighing on you, it costs nothing to talk it through.
