The Ohio Department of Development and the Area Agency on Aging District 7 want to remind seniors in Ohio that assistance is available to help with their home energy bills. The Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP) 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. Senior citizens may go to their local Area Agency on Aging office for help with assembling the required documents and completing their HEAP application. Seniors may also visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov to apply online or to download a copy of the application.
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, 2023.
For more information about HEAP, contact the Area Agency on Aging District 7 at 1-800-582-7277 or email info@aaa7.org. To be connected to your local energy assistance provider, call 800-282-0880 (hearing impaired clients may dial 711 for assistance) or visit www.energyhelp.ohio.gov.
Local partners in the AAA7’s core 10-county district include:
Adams County – Adams County Senior Citizens Center
Brown County – Adams-Brown Economic Opportunities, Inc.
Gallia County – Gallia-Meigs Community Action
Highland County – Highland County Community Action
Jackson County – Jackson-Vinton Community Action
Lawrence County – Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action
Pike County – Community Action Committee of Pike County
Ross County – Ross County Community Action
Scioto County – Scioto County Community Action
Vinton County – Jackson-Vinton Community Action
Submitted by Jenni Lewis, director of community outreach and training, AAA7.
