CIP is another federal program that assists households experiencing a heating or cooling related crisis, meaning that a household member is currently or is in danger of experiencing a life threatening or health related emergency and sufficient or timely assistance is not available from any other source.
“Life threatening” means a household which has no heating or cooling source or has received a disconnect notice from their primary heating or cooling service and the health or well-being of a household member would be in danger the crisis is not alleviated.
Applications are taken year-round. To be eligible, households must:
- Have at least one U.S. citizen or non-citizen who meets the eligibility criteria;
- Meet the income test;
- Have an energy related crisis; and,
- Have a utility statement that shows how much is owed to alleviate the crisis.
Eligible households may not earn total gross (pre-tax) income that exceeds 150% of the Federal Poverty Level. As with LIHEAP, the income level for meeting that criteria varies based on the number of people living in the home, and may change from year to year. Currently, a household of four can gross up to $39,300 per year (or $3,275 per month) and still be eligible. Find out what the income eligibility level for your household is here.
If you believe you are eligible for CIP, either call 2-1-1 and speak to an agent or contact your local social services office directly. To find their contact information, visit this Dept. of Health and Human Services page and either click on your county or on the link to the full directory.
It is unclear how much CIP funding is currently available, but as with LIHEAP, those funds are in high demand, so please contact your local social services department immediately to apply. If funds are no longer available, submit an application anyway so that you are in the system in case new funding becomes available.
Table of Contents
Know Your Rights
- For Customers of Investor-Owned Utilities
- For Customers of Municipally-Owned Electric, Gas and/or Water Utilities, or Electric Cooperatives