Help for winter heating bills now available through LIHEAP As the cold weather sets in, many people have difficulty payin winter heating bills. Companies like Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania have been educating customers about the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) which offers one-time grants annually to assist with paying home LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services that provides income-eligible customers financial assistance to help pay home heating bills and emergency assistance to avoid shut-off, restore service or repair heating equipment. Homeowners and renters may be eligible to receive LHEAP funds depending on household size and income level The program provides cash grants ranging from $200 to $1,000 to assist in paying winter heating bills. Also available are crisis grants, ranging from $25 to $600, to assist households without heat or in danger of being without heat. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Service website (COMPASS) at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications (LIURP), a free home weatherization program, is designed specifically for customers with low incomes and high gas At Columbia Gas, we want our customers to be safe and warm this winter, which is why we want our customers to know about the availability of LIHEAP assistance" said Deb Davis, Columbia Gas of Pennsylvania manager, Universal Services. "As a natural gas utility, we are committed to providing our most vulnerable customers with resources like ou LIHEAP to help with their heating bills. If you or someone you know may be struggling to pay their heating bills, please apply for a LIHEAP grant as soon as possible." being accepted through April 12,209. usage. Through WarmWise Audits and LIHEAP funds are limited, so individuals are encouraged to apply early before funds run Rebates, eligible customers can schedule a free home energy audit that includes $1,800 in upfront rebates for energy ciency measures that customers choose to implement. Columbia Gas also offers WarmWise energy efficiency information on no-cost or low-cost weatherization actions, materials and Eligibility guidelines for LIHEAP change annually, so individuals or families that may not have qualified in the past should reapply each year. The income eligibility limit for the 2018-2019 program is 150 percent of the federal poverty income guidelines. This means that individuals with annual incomes of up to $18,210 are eligible to apply. A family of four can earn an annual income of up to $37,650. Columbia Gas also offers a number of programs to assist customers in paying winter heating bills and conserving energy to reduce their bills.Among the available programs a Program, which offers affordable payment plans and debt forgiveness; and budget payment plans and the Dollar Energy Fund, re the Customer Assistance For more information about hom energy assistance programs and bill payment assistance available through Columbia Gas, call 1-888-460-4332 o hich provides grants and assistance to customers who need more than CRISIS to restore service or are slightly over the ii www.columbiagaspa.com. LIHEAP income guidelines. In Pennsylvania, nearly $162 million is available for LIHEAP grants this winter season, and more than 500,000 households across the commonwealth are expected to receive assistance through LIHEAP Last year, more than 20,000 Columbia Gas customers received assistance Columbia Gas WarmWise is a series of energy-saving programs that help identify ere a customers home is losing energy and provides solutions to start saving energy and money. The WarmWise Low Income Usage Reduction Program Individuals in western Pennsylvania can call 1-866-857-7095 to learn more about LIHEAP or can apply online through the