The Minnesota Department of Commerce and Minnesota Public Utilities Commission remind Minnesotans about two sources of help if home heating costs are unaffordable: the Energy Assistance Program and Cold Weather Rule.
“No Minnesotan should be without heat in their own home,” said Minnesota Commerce Department Temporary Commissioner Grace Arnold. “The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program is available to help Minnesotans pay for home heating costs, furnace repairs and fuel delivery.”
“The Cold Weather Rule is a critically important law that ensures Minnesotans don’t have their primary source of heat cut off in the cold winter months,” said Public Utilities Commission Chair Katie Sieben. “If you are having difficulties working with your utilities, please contact the Commission’s Consumer Affairs Office for assistance with Cold Weather Rule protections.”
“COVID-19 has brought financial uncertainty to all corners of the state and unfortunately more Minnesotans are now in need of, and eligible for, these programs,” added Chair Sieben.
Energy Assistance Program
To get help, call 800- 657-3710 and press 1, visit the Commerce Department’s Energy Assistance Program webpage or search for “energy assistance” at mn.gov/commerce for energy assistance information.
Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program can help households pay energy bills, get reconnected or prevent energy disconnection, get fuel delivered, learn about efficiency and safety, and repair or replace homeowners’ broken heating systems.
The Energy Assistance Program helps homeowners and renters with income at or below 50 percent of the state’s median income ($54,357 for a family of four) pay their heating bills. Last year, more than 117,000 Minnesota households received assistance with an average amount of more than $500 per household.
The Minnesota Energy Assistance Program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). The Commerce Department administers the program in partnership with 29 local service providers across the state.
The Commerce Department encourages all who may qualify, especially families with children, seniors, disabled persons and veterans from across Minnesota to contact their local Energy Assistance Program service provider.
Households can find their local service provider by calling 800-657- 3710 and at the Commerce Department’s Energy Assistance Program webpage. The Commerce Department recently mailed applications to households that qualified for energy assistance last year.
The Commerce Department also administers the Weatherization Assistance Program. Weatherization assistance provides homeowners and renters energy efficiency improvements to reduce energy costs for those that meet income eligibility guidelines.
Other forms of assistance may be available through county social service programs, community based organizations and nonprofit agencies. To learn more about other assistance options, connect with your area’s local service provider by calling 800-657-3710.
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