Arizona Heating Assistance: LIHEAP

Arizona runs the federal program as Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered by Arizona Department of Economic Security. 18 different program names appear across the states compiled here, which is why a search for the federal acronym often misses the page a household in Arizona actually needs.

Arizona Department of Economic Security publishes no fixed opening date for the season. That is the date as the agency describes it rather than a fixed calendar day. The agency's own words: "The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program that helps low income households pay their heating/cooling bills, minimize energy-related crises, and make energy costs more affordable."

The test is A monthly gross income limit by household size published by DES, with households already receiving DES Nutrition Assistance or DES Cash Assistance treated as categorically eligible, set out in the state agency's own table rather than as a percentage of either national measure. Arizona Department of Economic Security puts it this way: "To qualify for LIHEAP a household must (1) require assistance with payments for energy-related utilities, (2) meet citizenship or immigration requirements, and (3) have an income that falls within the program guidelines."

Arizona Department of Economic Security takes applications online through the a-to-z arizona portal, paper application and local community action agency. The program line is 1-866-494-1981. The application itself lives on the agency's own site rather than on a federal one.

A separate crisis benefit, once in a twelve month period, for a household that has used up its regular benefit and has a shut off or delinquency notice, an eviction notice where utilities are in the rent, or under seven days of prepaid or portable energy left. The agency's own words: "Crisis benefits are a separate benefit that a household may receive if their regular LIHEAP benefit has been exhausted, and the household has received an energy utility shut-off or delinquency notice or equivalent (eviction notice, if utilities are included in rent; less than seven (7) days of energy remaining for portable or pre-paid energy)."

Arizona Corporation Commission sets a separate rule on that, and its short form is: At or below 32F. In several states the two are linked, because receiving assistance is itself what switches the disconnection protection on. The winter shutoff page for Arizona carries the rule.

Arizona Department of Housing runs Weatherization Assistance Program, which is the companion to the bill payment side. Its own words: "The Weatherization Program enables income-eligible families to reduce their energy bills by making their homes more energy efficient."

Both, in the way that matters to a household. The money is a federal block grant; Arizona Department of Economic Security decides what it is called, when it opens, who is eligible and what it pays. Across the states compiled here that produces 18 program names and 8 different opening months, so the answer is a state answer even though the funding is federal.