This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Utah has received an additional $750,000 for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, which aids low-income homeowners and renters with weatherization improvements and heating and cooling bills.
More than 50,000 Utah households have benefited from federal energy assistance during the past year through the program, also known as HEAT (Home Energy Assistance Target). That is the largest number ever assisted in Utah.
Households are encouraged to call 211 after Nov. 1, when the backlog of applicants is expected to be reduced. To qualify, a family must earn below 150 percent of the federal poverty level: about $33,000 for a family of four.
"During these times of economic uncertainty, far too many Americans face difficulties affording the basics, such as utilities," said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius in a statement. "The release of these funds will help ease those worries, and assure individuals — particularly those with the lowest incomes that pay a high proportion of household income for home energy — that they will not be left behind during the cold winter months ahead."
Julia Lyon —
Need help with your energy bills?
Call 211 to find a local agency that can help.