HEAP program provides heating for low-income families

by Natalie Bensman
For The Post

For families who find their winter bills outweighing their budgets, a funding program is available to help.

The Home Energy Assistance Program can provide regular and emergency funding for heating bills. Both branches base their eligibility requirements upon guidelines set by the federal government.

Help from the emergency HEAP program can be sought when an individual’s heating services have been or will soon be disconnected. It is also intended to aid those who have a low supply of fuel, such as propane, in their homes. Local nonprofit organizations can help provide contact information for HEAP.

Those seeking emergency service from the HEAP program find out immediately whether or not they will be accepted to the program, but those seeking assistance from the regular HEAP program have a longer wait. HEAP applications are available through the Ohio Department of Development Office of Community Services and is a federally funded program administered by the state.

Because of the large number of applicants, there is an eight- to 12-week wait to find out who receives aid.

“I now have on my desk over 100,000 applications that I’ve received since September. This is not even half of what I expect to get (by the deadline on March 31),” said Vicky Mroczek, chief of the Office of Community Services in the Ohio Department of Development. 

Last year, more than 275,000 applications were received, she said.

Members of the HEAP program who use regulated utilities will see a credit directly on their bill when it arrives.

Customers using non-regulated utilities, or individuals who have fuel delivered to their homes use the Vendor Payment System.  These customers will receive a voucher, then the fuel dealer takes the voucher and redeems it through the Ohio Department of Development Office of Community Services, Mroczek said.

The winters of 2000-01 showed a 26 percent increase in households eligible for the program.

Mroczek said the increase “was clearly related to energy prices, and the fact that we had very cold weather.”

Customers must reapply for HEAP each year to make sure income requirements are met.

Joe Andrews, spokesman for governor Bob Taft said the HEAP program is important because can positively affect the health and comfort of families, and is especially important for families with small children.

The HEAP program is accepting applications.  Call 1-800-282-0880 for more information.

— Natalie Bensman