Texas LIHEAP: A Utility Assistance Program In Texas For Senior Citizens
In this community resources guide, you will learn how to find the Texas LIHEAP program in your area.
If you are a senior citizen or simply struggling to pay your utilities each month, a potential solution may be applying for a LIHEAP program. LIHEAP stands for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. This is a federally funded program that helps low-income families with the rising cost of utilities.
Should you find yourself in a position where your fixed-income prevents you from paying your light bill each month, this program may be the solution to your problems.
Keep reading to learn how to find Texas LIHEAP programs near you and how to apply for financial assistance.
What Is The LIHEAP Texas Program?
The LIHEAP Texas program offers utility bill assistance for low-income families, primarily senior citizens. The program helps senior citizens connect to utility assistance programs in Texas that can pay your light bill from anywhere from 6 to 8 months. I’ve had clients show me their actual bills where the program has paid 100% of the utility bill!
Editor’s Note: I’ve only seen senior citizens receive utility assistance for an extended amount of time. It’s possible that someone under the age of 60 or even someone who does not have a disability can get 6 to 8 months of utility assistance, but I personally have never seen this.
Low-income households are assisted through initiatives that assist families with their energy expenses. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a government program that helps keep families safe and healthy by assisting them with energy costs. This utility assistance program offers federally funded aid in managing home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization, and minor home repairs.
Who Qualifies For The Texas LIHEAP Program?
To qualify for this utility assistance program you must:
- Be a Texas resident
- Have a low income
If you receive SSI or other government assistance, you could automatically qualify for the Texas LIHEAP program.
The following are the maximum household income levels that you must fall below:
| Household Size | Max Income Limit |
| 1 | $20,385 |
| 2 | $27,465 |
| 3 | $34,545 |
| 4 | $41,625 |
| 5 | $48,705 |
| 6 | $55,785 |
| 7 | $62,865 |
| 8 | $69,945 |
Senior Citizen Electric Bill Discount Texas (LIHEAP Program)
You can receive up to $1600 in assistance for both your gas and electricity bills through the Texas LIHEAP program. As aforementioned, I have seen the bills of LIHEAP recipients where this program paid 100% of their utility bill for 6 to 8 months.
Editor’s Note: This does not guarantee that you will get assistance for 6 to 8 months or $1600 worth of utility assistance. These are only estimates of the financial assistance you could receive under the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program in Texas.
Enrolling In The Texas LIHEAP Program
You’ll need to locate a LIHEAP partner if you wish to participate in this utility aid program for the elderly in Texas. These are typically non-profits in your city that get money from the LIHEAP program to assist low-income elders with their payments.
Editor’s Note: The LIHEAP program is also referred to as the Comprehensive Energy Assistance Program (CEAP). Whether it is LIHEAP or CEAP, the fact remains that this program helps low-income seniors in Texas pay their utility bills.
The Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs website is a place that you can visit to find LIHEAP utility assistance programs in Texas.
What Is The LIHEAP Texas Phone Number?
The LIHEAP telephone number is 866.674.6327. When you call this number select option 1 and then provide your zip code. Next, they will then provide you with the telephone number of the local LIHEAP partner in your area. Keep in mind that 866.674.6327 is the national LIHEAP phone number. It’s managed by the National Energy Assistance Referral (NEAR) hotline.
You can also call the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs at 512.475.3800 to get connected to a Texas LIHEAP. Choose your language, then press option 3 “utility assistance”. You’ll have the option to select the city you live in. If they do not list your city press 0 to speak with an operator.
How To Find A Texas LIHEAP Organization Near You (Electricity Assistance Texas)
To find a LIHEAP Texas partner you can:
- Call 512.475.3800, choose your language, press 3 for “utility assistance”, and then select the city you are in. If they do not list your city press 0 to speak with an agent.
- Visit the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs website. Below are step-by-step instructions on finding a Texas LIHEAP partner near you with their website.
Scroll down the page until you can see a listing of programs like the screenshot below. You’ll want to click on the “Utility Bill Payment Help”.
Click the “utility bill payment help” button to find Texas LIHEAP programs in your area.
Scroll a little further on this page until your screen looks similar to the screenshot below. This is where you will enter your city or county.
You can search for Texas LIHEAP program by city or county.
After you have entered a city or county, you will see a page like the one below with the Texas LIHEAP partner in your area. Call this nonprofit or visit their website.
This page shows you the Texas LIHEAP partners in your city or county. Call these nonprofits to see if they have long-term utility assistance funds.
You can click on the nonprofit name to see even more information about the organization. Below is a screenshot of what a nonprofit’s information page will look like.
This is an information page that shows you website and phone numbers to help you apply for a Texas LIHEAP program.
Again, once you find a nonprofit that offers LIHEAP in Texas call them to see if utility assistance funds are available.
LIHEAP Texas Application 2022
You’ll need to contact the nonprofit that manages the low-income home energy assistance program in your area to complete an application online. There is no generic Texas LIHEAP application online that you can complete.
Again you will need to find the nonprofit that manages the utility assistance program in your city. You can do this by calling 866.674.6327 or by visiting the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs website.
In the following section, I will provide you with an example of a LIHEAP Texas application.
Baker Ripley Utility Assistance: A Texas LIHEAP Program
If you live in Houston, Harris County, Brazoria County, or Galveston County your LIHEAP program is managed by a nonprofit called Baker Ripley.
Below is a screenshot of the Baker Ripley LIHEAP application.
Texas LIHEAP requirements may differ from program to program, but in general, you will need to provide information like:
- The LIHEAP application.
- Proof of residency. You need to live in the city or county of the LIHEAP Texas program that you are applying for.
- Your proof of identity.
- An income statement.
- A utility bill like your electric, gas, or water bill.
Again, each program has a different process and application. If you want to see an example of what the LIHEAP application in your area could look like, visit the Baker Ripley website to see the example above. If you are in Harris, Brazoria, or Galveston County you can call Baker Ripley to apply for this Texas LIHEAP program directly.
How Do I Apply For LITE Up Texas?
The LITE Up texas program was discontinued in August of 2016, therefore you can no longer apply for this Texas utility assistance program.
Conclusion
If you are wondering “how can I get help with my electricity bill in Texas” the Texas LIHEAP program may be able to help you. It can potentially pay your light bill for anywhere from 6 to 8 months. To qualify you will need to be a resident of Texas and have a low income. Senior citizens are typically treated as a high priority in this program, so definitely apply for utility assistance if you are on a fixed income.
To apply for LIHEAP in Texas, you must locate the nonprofit that manages the LIHEAP program in your city or county. You can do this by calling 866.674.6327 or by visiting the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs website. Either option will connect you to a Texas LIHEAP agency near you.
Once you have the phone number of the LIHEAP partner in your area, call the nonprofit to see if you qualify for assistance. I’m not sure if this is the case for all LIHEAP programs, but in Houston, the best time to apply is between November and January. This seems to be the time that the local nonprofit here awards low-income families with utility assistance.
For more questions again call 866.674.6327 to reach your local LIHEAP program or simply leave a comment below.
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Nick Bryant is the author of Understanding Healthcare Is Half The Battle and a Senior Counselor with 13+ years of experience working in community health and mental health. He enjoys spending time with his family, watching WWE on Friday nights, and working toward a Google Data Analytics certification. If you have additional questions about community resources or government assistance programs, simply leave a comment below and he will follow up as soon as possible.
I DONT GET ENOUGH INCOME FROM SOCIAL SECURITY TO PAY LIGHT BILL. I CANT TURN ON THE AC BECAUSE OF MY INCOME,.
Hi Florence,
I’m so sorry to hear that you’re struggling to pay your light bill. Social Security income can be very tight, especially for those who are living alone.
One thing you might want to try is contacting the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) in your city. They may be able to help you with your energy bill. Let me know your city or county if you are having trouble finding the LIHEAP program in your area.
Nick
do they not offer it in state of texas currently? only during certain months? have had liheap a few years ago
What I do know about this program is in Houston Baker Ripley offers long term utility assistance. They typically start accepting applications for this program in October or November. So it may be the same in your area. They may take applications at the end of one year to be ready to issue those benefits in the following year. That being said if you find the nonprofit that helps your zip code or city call them periodically and ask them when is the best time to apply for the Texas liheap program. Hope that helps Ben!