With icy temperatures and severe winter weather hitting much of Ohio this week, the State of Ohio is urging residents to take advantage of a program designed to keep homes warm and families safe.

The Ohio Department of Development’s Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program provides income-eligible Ohioans one-time assistance managing their home energy bill. The program runs November 1st through March 31st every year.

“With some of the coldest weather of the season expected to come our way, it’s more important than ever to ensure every Ohioan stays safe and warm,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “The Winter Crisis Program is here to provide that critical support in these bitter and challenging conditions.”

The Winter Crisis Program assists Ohioans facing service disconnection, those who have already been disconnected, individuals needing to establish new service, those required to pay for a service transfer, and those with a Percentage of Income Payment Plan (PIPP) default or who need to make their first PIPP payment. It also supports households with 25 percent or less of bulk fuel in their tank to maintain service. Qualifying households must have a gross annual income at or below 175 percent of the federal poverty level. For a family of four, that is $54,600.

Last year, the Winter Crisis Program assisted nearly 77,000 households in Ohio, providing a total of $23.5 million in benefits.

Households serviced by a Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO)-regulated utility must sign up for PIPP or another payment plan if there is still an outstanding balance on the utility bill after receiving assistance.

Ohioans can start their application online but must schedule an appointment with their local energy assistance provider to complete the application. Depending on the agency, the appointment may be in person, on the phone, or remotely. The application and list of providers can be found online at energyhelp.ohio.gov.

Clients need to bring copies of the following documents to their appointment:

Copies of their most-recent energy bills, if available
A list of all household members and proof of income for the last 30 days or 12 months for each member
Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members
Proof of disability, if applicable

For more information about the Winter Crisis Program, visit energyhelp.ohio.gov.