Peoples Reminds Customers: Final Weeks to Apply for Up to $2,000 Grants. Customers with limited incomes can apply for LIHEAP grants until April 28.

PITTSBURGH – Peoples Natural Gas, an Essential Utilities company, encourages customers struggling to pay their heating bills to review their eligibility for assistance and consider applying for support before next month’s deadline.

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) provides households a one-time grant, applied directly to the utility bill. It is a federally funded program administrated by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DHS) and available to residents  with an annual income less than or equal to 150% of the federal poverty income guidelines. For the 2022-23 LIHEAP season, that means an individual with an annual income of up to $20,385 is eligible to apply; a family of four can earn up to $41,625 annually. This season’s minimum LIHEAP grant is $300, and the program recently increased the maximum crisis grant amount to $2,000.  Crisis grants are available to qualifying customers who are without heat or in danger of losing service. 

The Peoples ProgramFinder is the fastest way for those experiencing financial hardship to find support with paying their gas bill. With ProgramFinder, customers can determine their eligibility for LIHEAP and begin the grant application process quickly. Peoples’ Customer Assistance Program (CAP) is available year-round and allows customers to make payments based on their income. Peoples also offers weatherization programs to help customers in need lower their consumption and bills, as well as Budget Billing to spread the higher costs from the winter season evenly throughout the year.