Help With Your Electric Bill in South Dakota: LIHEAP
South Dakota 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 · Paper · Phone
When can I apply for help with my energy bill in South Dakota?
South Dakota does not publish its application dates. Call 800-233-8503 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 South Dakota. What do I do today?
Energy Crisis Intervention Program (ECIP), open April 1 - March 31. You must be income eligible and in crisis: a current disconnection notice for the primary heat source, cash-on-delivery or refusal to deliver with under 20% in the tank, or an eviction notice for non-payment when heat is in the rent. Call 800-233-8503 or e-mail the disconnect notice to [email protected]. Office hours 8am-5pm CT Mon-Fri; outside hours leave a message.
How do I apply for LIHEAP in South Dakota?
Online application or printable application at dss.sd.gov/economicassistance/energy_weatherization_assistance.aspx. Everyone in the household age 18+ must sign. Mail or e-mail the form and proofs to SD DSS, Office of Energy Assistance, 700 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501, or [email protected]. Status: call 800-233-8503, option 1.
Who qualifies in South Dakota?
| Household size | Gross monthly income limit |
|---|---|
| 1 | $7,825 |
| 2 | $10,575 |
| 3 | $13,325 |
| 4 | $16,075 |
| 5 | $18,825 |
| 6 | $21,575 |
| 7 | $22,514 |
| 8 | $23,014 |
Gross income over the 3 calendar months before the application must not exceed the state limit: 1 person $7,825, 2 $10,575, 3 $13,325, 4 $16,075, 5 $18,825, 6 $21,575, 7 $22,514, 8 $23,014 (3-month totals, 2025-2026 heating season). You must be responsible for the home heating cost.
How much does LIHEAP pay?
South Dakota 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?
Signed application (all household members 18+); proof of income for everyone in the house for the 3 calendar months before you sign (check stubs, employer statement, tax return, award letters; self-employed: full prior-year tax return); proof of home heating and electric costs (recent bill or fill ticket, supplier statement with account number, or landlord statement that heat is in the rent).
Can they legally cut off my power in South Dakota right now?
Winter rule, not a full moratorium. SD Admin Rule 20:10:20:10: a utility may not disconnect residential service from November 1 to March 31 without giving the customer an extra 30 days beyond the normal notice period, and must tell the customer before the normal disconnection date that they have those 30 days. No temperature, age or illness trigger in the rule.
This comes from the South Dakota utility commission, not from the energy assistance programme — they are different offices and only one of them publishes it.
Worth knowing in South Dakota
This is one of the states that does not publish a seasonal opening date, so 'apply now' is safe here but the reader has no deadline to plan around. The 3-month income window is unusual: most states use a month or a year.
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 South Dakota →
Read on dss.sd.gov on Sep 10, 2026. Income limits are the ones South Dakota 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 →
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