The Utah Division of Housing and Community Development provides a series of state energy assistance programs to low income families in the state. Operating through the Liheap and Home Energy Assistance Target, or HEAT, programs, the state funds its programs with matching contributions from the Departments of Energy and Health and Human Services. The state operates local State Energy Assistance Lifeline programs to serve local communities from November to April of each year, providing an important source of funds for at-risk households.
One of the most prominent program is the Lifeline Assistance program which aims to help households lower their monthly utilities bills. Providing grants to households on an as-needed basis, the state Division of Public Utilities and the Department of Commerce collaborate with local utilities to provide a complete source of assistance to households who earn up to 135% of the federally-mandated poverty limit.
The HEAT program, or Home Energy Assistance Target, is Utah’s program to allocate federal Liheap Home Energy Assistance grant. In partnership with the federal Department of Health nd Human Services, the program provided over $30 million in funding last year alone for at-risk households. Based upon need, the application based program selects households to receive grants on an annual basis.
In order to protect households from having their utilities shut off in the dead of winter, the state’s Utility Moratorium Protection Program provides emergency funds for households to keep their energy flowing to their home. Households must apply in advance of utility shut offs and have to prove a drop in income or an emergency that impaired the ability to pay for the program. Based on these criterion, the state will provide additional funding to households to ensure shut offs do not occur.
