The Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program will accept applications from eligible Ohio residents starting Nov. 1 and continuing through March 31, 2027, the Record Herald reported. The Community Action Commission of Fayette County administers the program locally with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
The aid is one-time support for households that received a disconnection notice, lost service, need to start service or are paying to transfer it. It also covers bulk-fuel users with 25% or less of their heating fuel left, according to the report.
Eligibility is limited to households with gross annual income no higher than 175% of federal poverty guidelines. The Record Herald reported that a four-person family's current cutoff is $57,750. In the prior heating season, the program provided $25.5 million to more than 73,000 households across Ohio.
Fayette County residents may apply at the local commission office, 1400 U.S. Route 22 NW in Washington Court House. Walk-in hours are 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. weekdays. Applicants should bring recent utility bills, a full household list with income proof covering the past 30 days or 12 months for each person, U.S. citizenship or legal-residency proof for all members, and disability documentation when relevant.
Households served by a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio-regulated utility must join the Percentage of Income Payment Plan, or set up another payment arrangement if a balance remains after crisis aid, the report said.
Residents elsewhere in Ohio can begin an application or find their local agency at energyhelp.ohio.gov. Fayette County residents can call Judy Havens at 740-335-7282 for more information.