Now that November and colder weather are officially here, Iowa residents who need help paying their heating bills can apply for assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The federally funded program is administered by the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and helps qualifying low-income households cover winter heating costs. The program began accepting applications Oct. 1 for Iowans who are 60 or older, have a disability, or have received a disconnection notice. General applications opened Nov. 1 and remain open through April 30, 2026. To be eligible for LIHEAP in Iowa, total household income must be at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. For example, that figure would be $31,300 for a one-person household, and $64,300 for a four-person household. Applications can be submitted through one of Iowa’s many community action outreach offices, which would be New Opportunities, Inc., for residents in Sac, Calhoun, Carroll, Greene, Audubon, and Guthrie counties, and West Central Community Action for Crawford County.
