Help With Your Electric Bill in Illinois: LIHEAP

Program Year 2027 runs 1 October 2026 to 13 August 2027, or until funding is exhausted. Priority opening on 1 Oct 2026 for: adults 60+, people with a disability, households with a child aged 5 or under, and anyone already disconnected, with a disconnect date within 7 days, or below 25% in their propane tank. Everyone else income-eligible can apply from 1 November 2026.

Dates move every year and most states stop taking applications when the money runs out, not on the closing date. Checked Sep 10, 2026 — confirm before you count on it.

No separate crisis application: a disconnect notice moves you into the 1 October priority group. If you have a disconnect notice with a date, or your heat-related gas or electric is already off, DCEO says call your county agency DIRECTLY rather than filing the online form. Call center 1-833-711-0374.

Online: submit a Request for Services form at helpillinoisfamilies.com during your application month, then wait for your local agency to call or email; if nothing after 3 weeks, contact the county agency directly. Or apply directly through your county agency (list at dceo.illinois.gov/communityservices/homeweatherization/communityactionagencies.html). Help line 1-833-711-0374 for live support. Application status at liheap2025.ilenergyassistance.com/customerinquiry/ once you have a 7-digit Application ID starting with 8.

Illinois 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.

Proof of the past 30 days of income (paystub, check, or proof of fixed income such as SSA, VA, DHS benefits); most recent heating bill and/or electric bill issued in the last 30 days; Social Security card or ITIN for those who have one (you can still apply without); rental agreement if renting with heat included, showing rent and landlord contact; proof of TANF, Medicaid or SNAP if you get IDHS benefits.

Illinois winter weather rule, in effect 1 December to 31 March, bars utilities from disconnecting eligible customers whose primary home heat is electric or gas. Customers are also protected on any day the forecast is at or below 32F and on days before holidays and weekends when the forecast is expected to drop to freezing. Enforced by the Illinois Commerce Commission (ICC), not DCEO.

This comes from the Illinois utility commission, not from the energy assistance programme — they are different offices and only one of them publishes it.

DCEO carries a scam alert about fake 'notice of award' letters. Note the URL trap: dceo.illinois.gov/communityservices/homeweatherization/liheap.html now 404s — the live page is /communityservices/utilitybillassistance.html.

In most states the same office runs SNAP food benefits, and receiving one often makes the other automatic or faster. SNAP in Illinois →