(Ohio) – The Ohio Department of Development and HARCATUS Tri-County Community Action Organization, Inc. will help income-eligible Ohioans stay warm during the cold winter months.
The Home Energy Assistance Winter Crisis Program provides eligible Ohioans assistance paying a utility or bulk fuel bill or assistance paying for heating system repairs. The program started on November 1, 2022, and will end on March 30, 2023. To apply for the program, clients are required to schedule an appointment with HARCATUS.
Appointments can be scheduled by calling 855-806-9650.
The following documents are needed to complete the appointment:
- Copies of their most recent energy bills; 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).
“We want to remind households that if they have started an application and not completed it, HARCATUS must finish the process quickly, please get us the necessary documents. Also, more than likely temperatures will probably turn colder at least one more time this winter, reach out to your local HARCATUS office now to begin the process before the March 30 deadline,” states JoEllen Sanders, Community Services Program Director at HARCATUS.
Details: Eligible households can receive up to $175 if they are a client of a regulated utility, or $750 if they are a client of unregulated utilities such as electric cooperatives and municipal utilities. The assistance is applied to their utility bill and/or applied to heating system repair costs. Ohioans must have a gross income at or below 175% of the federal poverty guidelines to qualify for assistance.
An appointment no-show may result in utilities being shut off. For more information about the features of the Winter Crisis Program and what is needed to apply, please visit HARCATUS Tri-County Community Action Organization, Inc. at http://www.harcatus.org/heap.
The local HARCATUS phone number for Tuscarawas County is 330-343-8770. To be connected to your local Energy Assistance provider visit http://www.energyhelp.ohio.gov or call (800) 282-0880.
