Cold reminder – Feb. 2 is Energy Assistance Day. Apply for Wyoming’s LIEAP before April 30.

The original story by Ron Richter for Sheridan Media.

Feelin’ the chill? Feb. 2 is National Energy Assistance Day – a good nudge to apply for Wyoming’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) while winter’s still hanging on. Sheridan Media’s Ron Richter reports the program is open now, but applications must be in by April 30.

Quick facts you need to know

• LIEAP helps pay part of winter heating bills and can step in for crisis situations – think broken furnaces or a pending utility shutoff.
• It’s run by the Wyoming Department of Family Services and funded by a federal block grant.
• Apply online at lieapwyo.org or call 1-800-246-4221.

Who’s getting help – and how much

• In the 2024–25 season, LIEAP aided 8,317 households, with an average benefit of $732.
• So far this heating season the program has helped 5,414 households with about $1.5 million in assistance.
• The need is real: a recent US Census Bureau snapshot shows 42% of Wyoming households have had to choose between paying an energy bill and buying basics like food or medicine in the last year; 31% kept homes at unsafe or unhealthy temperatures; and 27% couldn’t pay an energy bill.

Who qualifies

• Income limits go up to 60% of the state’s median income. For example, a four-person household must earn $68,902 or less a year to qualify.
• LIEAP helps both homeowners and renters – yes, even people living in permanently parked RVs.
• Priority goes to households with seniors, people with disabilities, and families with kids under five.

Bottom line: if bills are tight, this is not one to skip. Hit lieapwyo.org or call 1-800-246-4221 and get your application in before April 30.