Help With Your Electric Bill in California: LIHEAP
California does not publish when you can apply for LIHEAP, which is the one thing you need to know. Here is what it does say, and the number to call to find out.
- Applications
- Not stated
- Pays
- Not stated
- Shut-off help
- Yes, crisis track
- How to apply
- Online
When can I apply for help with my energy bill in California?
California does not publish its application dates. Call 2-1-1 and ask when the current season opens — and ask about crisis help in the same call if your power is at risk.
My power is about to be cut off in California. What do I do today?
Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP): for households with a 24-48 hour disconnect notice, service already terminated, or a life-threatening energy emergency such as a broken combustible appliance. Some providers run it as 'LIHEAP Fast Track' with an emergency appointment. Apply through the local provider; CSD lists no crisis hotline of its own. Statewide referral: dial 2-1-1 (free, 24/7).
How do I apply for LIHEAP in California?
Not applied for at the state. Find your county provider at csd.ca.gov/Pages/FindServicesInYourArea.aspx?ct=Energy_Bill and apply with that agency. No statewide online portal.
Who qualifies in California?
| Household size | Monthly income limit |
|---|---|
| 1 | $3,331 |
| 2 | $4,356 |
| 3 | $5,382 |
| 4 | $6,407 |
| 5 | $7,432 |
| 6 | $8,457 |
| 7 | $8,649 |
| 8 | $8,841 |
2026 LIHEAP income limits, monthly: 1 person $3,331.66 · 2 $4,356.83 · 3 $5,382.00 · 4 $6,407.16 · 5 $7,432.25 · 6 $8,457.41 · 7 $8,649.66 · 8 $8,841.83 · 9 $9,034.08 · 10 $9,226.25; add $192.21 per extra person. CSD says eligibility also varies by income source.
How much does LIHEAP pay?
California does not publish the benefit amounts on the page we read. It is paid to the utility, not to you, and depends on household size, income and fuel type.
What do I need to bring?
Not itemized on the California page we read. Expect ID, a recent energy bill, proof of income for everyone in the household and, if you have one, the shut-off notice.
Can they legally cut off my power in California right now?
No seasonal winter moratorium in California. CPUC rules bar disconnection of residential electric customers when high heat is forecast (threshold lowered from 100F to 90F by CPUC vote in July 2026, with a ZIP-code CalHeatScore trigger) and of electric and gas customers when temperatures below 32F are forecast, on a 72-hour look-ahead. Extra protections for medical baseline/life-support, seniors and people with disabilities. Rules are CPUC's, not CSD's — heat threshold change read on news coverage, not on a CPUC page (that page 404s).
This comes from the California utility commission, not from the energy assistance programme — they are different offices and only one of them publishes it.
Worth knowing in California
California is the largest LIHEAP state but the least specific: no dates, no benefit amounts, no phone. Everything happens at the county provider. Also worth naming on the page: CARE (30-35% electric discount), FERA (18%) and ESA free weatherization, which are utility programs, not CSD's.
One application, two bills
In most states the same office runs SNAP food benefits, and receiving one often makes the other automatic or faster. SNAP in California →
Read on csd.ca.gov on Sep 10, 2026. Income limits are the ones California publishes itself: states choose between 150% of the federal poverty level and 60% of state median income, so copying from a neighbouring state gives the wrong answer. Last review Sep 10, 2026.
Checked by the PocketBoosters team against the official source. How we check this →
English