Winter heating assistance for residents who are without heat or threatened with disconnection is available now through March 31, 2023.
Winter Crisis applicants must be living at or below 175% of the federal poverty line. Crisis appointments can be scheduled at lccaa.secure.force.com/appointments for the following reasons:
- Heat has been disconnected;
- A disconnection notice has been received;
- You need to establish new service;
- You need to pay to transfer service;
- Bulk fuel users have less than a 10-day supply of wood, coal, pellets, propane or oil;
- Defaulted on PIPP payments.
These emergency situations qualify for an appointment with Lorain County Community Action Center (LCCAA) staff, which will be conducted over the phone.
Those with a pending disconnection notice must provide an account number during appointment scheduling to place a hold on the disconnection. The appointment must be at least 48 hours before the scheduled disconnection. Missing or rescheduling the appointment may result in disconnection.
In person services are being offered for seniors only in partnership with the Lorain County Office on Aging. An LCCAA Energy Services employee is stationed at their office in Elyria (320 Gateway Blvd. North, 2nd floor, accessible by elevator) from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Those 60 and over who are not comfortable making an online appointment may walk in during those hours.
A secure drop box is available at LCCAA at 936 Broadway Ave., Lorain for required documents.
Required documentation includes:
- Income information for all household members 18 years of age or older for the last 30 days;
- Any member reporting “no income” must complete a no income form;
- Social Security numbers for all household members;
- Proof of citizenship for all household members;
- Most recent electric and gas bills;
For a complete list of countable income, please visit our website.
Maximum benefits for Winter Crisis are:
- $175 for regulated gas and electric utilities
- $750 for unregulated gas and electric utilities
- $900 for bulk fuel, propane, heating oil or kerosene
- $550 for coal or wood
The program can also fund up to $500 in heating unit repairs or replacements.
If you do not have a disconnect notice but need help paying your bill, you may be eligible for the Home Energy Assistance Program. Applications for that program are taken at energyhelp.ohio.gov. No appointment is needed.
If you have questions about an existing application, you can also call 440-245-1870 Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to speak with a representative. The lobby reception window at 936 Broadway Ave. in Lorain is open. Masks are required and the number of visitors is limited.
No documents are accepted at the window. A weather-tight, secure document drop box is stationed at the agency’s rear lobby entrance. The box is checked hourly. Documents can also be faxed to 440-457-0337.
https://www.lccaa.net/