Heating bill assistance available in Knox County

The colder months can really take a toll on your utility bills, and keeping yourself and your family warm is crucial. That’s why your local neighborhood outreach program has decided to lend a helping hand.

Through KCEOC Community Action Partnership, “the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program assists Knox County residents during the winter season in reducing their energy costs, which in turn helps them stay warm during those cold months,” says Shawn Bingham, KCEOC’s Community Service Director.

LIHEAP is a program designed to help impoverished families by providing financial assistance with high heating bills. The benefits are paid through a voucher system, made payable to the heating provider.

In order to apply for LIHEAP, you must provide your level of income, assets, and responsibility of heating cost, and your income level must be at or below 130% of the federal poverty level, which is roughly $27,000 for a family of three, or $16,000 for a single adult.

You can submit your application from November 5 through December 14, and applications are scheduled by the first letter of the households last name; however, if you experience a heating emergency, or you are about to run out of heating fuel or about to be disconnected, your application can be taken at any time.

Acceptable forms of address verification for the application include an unopened piece of First Class mail, a metered utility bill, a property tax receipt or a valid Kentucky state I.D. or driver’s license. LIHEAP no longer accepts 911 verifications as a proof of address.

For more information on how to apply, call Angie May at 546-3152, extension 303.

KCEOC is also doing their annual community needs assessment, and ask all citizens of Knox County to go to their website at http://www.kceoc.org and fill out the 2018-2019 Knox County Community Needs Assessment to help better our community.