Illinois Heating Assistance: LIHEAP

Illinois runs the federal program as Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, administered by Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity. 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 Illinois actually needs.

Applications run October 1 to August 13. The agency's own words: "The LIHEAP application period is October 1, 2026, to August 13, 2027, or until funding is exhausted."

The test is For customers of the five named large utilities, combined gross income for the 30 days before applying at or below 300 percent of the federal poverty guidelines; the department also states that annual eligibility levels are set each year and may not exceed 60 percent of the state median income., measured against the state median income, so the qualifying figure moves with what households in that state actually earn. Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity puts it this way: "Households that are customers of Ameren Illinois, ComEd, Nicor Gas, North Shore Gas and Peoples Gas must have a combined income for the 30 days prior to application (gross income, before taxes are deducted) at or below the 300% Federal Poverty Guidelines* as shown in the chart below, you may be eligible to receive assistance. If you rent, and your heat is included in the rent, you may be eligible for a LIHEAP benefit."

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity takes applications online and at a local agency. The program line is 1-833-711-0374. The application itself lives on the agency's own site rather than on a federal one.

October 1 opens the application a month early for older adults, people with a disability, families with children five and under, and households already disconnected, within seven days of a disconnect date, or below a quarter tank of propane; a household with a disconnect notice is told to call its county agency directly. The agency's own words: "The program will begin taking applications on October 1, 2026, for older adults (age 60 and older), individuals with a disability, families with children 5 years old and under, and households that are disconnected from their utilities/energy vendors, have a disconnect date within 7 days or have less than 25% in their propane tank can start applying for LIHEAP assistance. All other income eligible households can start applying on November 1, 2026."

Illinois Commerce Commission sets a separate rule on that, and its short form is: Once the household files, Dec 1 to Mar 31. In several states the two are linked, because receiving assistance is itself what switches the disconnection protection on. The winter shutoff page for Illinois carries the rule.

Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity runs Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program, which is the companion to the bill payment side. Its own words: "The Illinois Home Weatherization Assistance Program (IHWAP) helps low income residents and households conserve fuel and reduce energy costs by making their homes and apartments more energy efficient."

Both, in the way that matters to a household. The money is a federal block grant; Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity 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.