Crisis assistance through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) will be available for families in need beginning January 9 through the end of March. Officials say these supplemental benefits target households facing emergencies like imminent heating or energy loss and eviction.
Bralyn Kielman is the Fleming County Coordinator for the Licking Valley Community Action Council, which also serves Mason, Bracken, Lewis, and Robertson counties. She said in the Licking Valley region, the assistance provided during the crisis program depends on the household’s heating type.
“For wood, we can give you two loads of wood during this crisis program. Gas, we can do a 200-gallon tank, and then kerosene, I think it’s 50 gallons that we help with, and they get paid 25 gallons at a time,” said Kielman.
She said families who received the one-time subsidy funding through LIHEAP in November or December can still apply for crisis assistance this year.
“If we’re going to help them with electric, they would need to bring their electric bill in or their gas bill, their proof of income, their [social] security card and their driver’s license,” said Kielman.
According to the Kentucky Energy and Environment Cabinet’s Energy Affordability Dashboard, the average electric bill in Rowan County was $125, which on average cost residents 4% of their monthly income in 2019. More than 27% of Rowan County residents fell below the poverty line that year.
Gateway Community Action, which serves Rowan, Bath, Morgan, Montgomery and Menifee counties, provides LIHEAP funding and other services like weatherization for low-income houses, clothing vouchers, and rent and electricity assistance. More information is online at gatewaycaa.org.