Missouri Heating Assistance: LIHEAP

Missouri runs the federal program as Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, administered by Missouri Department of Social Services. 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 Missouri actually needs.

Missouri Department of Social Services 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: "Energy Assistance - A one-time payment for one fuel type for your heating or cooling costs from October-May."

The test is at or below the income guidelines on the department's benefit program limit chart for the household size, with no more than 3,000 dollars in bank, retirement or investment accounts, set out in the state agency's own table rather than as a percentage of either national measure. Missouri Department of Social Services puts it this way: "Have $3,000 or less in your bank accounts, retirement accounts, or investments. Meet or are below the income guidelines for your household size."

Missouri Department of Social Services takes applications online, by mail, by fax and in person at a contracted agency. The program line is 855-373-4636. The application itself lives on the agency's own site rather than on a federal one.

The Energy Crisis Intervention Program pays toward the bill for a household holding a disconnect notice with a date on it, a final billing statement, a propane or fuel oil tank under 20 percent, a prepaid electric account about to run out, or another fuel source about to run out. The agency's own words: "Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP) - Helps pay your energy bill when you have a termination or disconnect notice indicating a specific disconnect date, a final billing statement advising the account has been terminated, a propane-fuel oil tank is filled at less than 20% capacity, the customer is a cash on delivery (COD) customer, pre-paid electric customer indicates their pre-paid usage is about to run out, or when an applicant indicates another fuel source is about to run out (Wood, corn pellets, kerosene)."

Missouri Public Service 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 Missouri carries the rule.

Missouri Department of Natural Resources, Division of Energy runs Weatherization Assistance Program, which is the companion to the bill payment side. Its own words: "The Weatherization Assistance Program provides eligible households with home energy conservation services. The program provides cost-effective energy-efficient home improvements to Missouri's low income households, especially the elderly, children, those with physical disadvantages and others most affected by high utility costs."

Both, in the way that matters to a household. The money is a federal block grant; Missouri Department of Social Services 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.