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With cold weather quickly approaching, Washington-Morgan Community Action and The Ohio Department of Development announce that assistance is available to help income eligible households with their home energy and water bills. The Winter Crisis ("Emergency HEAP") program begins November 1, 2023 and will run until March 31, 2024. The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program has been extended and may assist income eligible households facing disconnection on their water/waste-water bills.
The Winter Crisis Program (WCP) assists low-income households with their heating bills that have been disconnected, have a pending disconnection notice, need to transfer/establish new service, or those that have 25% (or less) of bulk fuel supply remaining to stay warm this winter. The program can also help PIPP customers if they have a PIPP Default or are enrolling in PIPP for the first time and need to make their first PIPP payment. WCP assistance is once per season and the maximum benefit amount varies based on the household's main source of heat.
The Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program assists low-income households with their water and/or waste-water (sewer) bills if the household's service has not yet been paid, has been disconnected, is pending disconnection, or new service needs to be established or transferred. The program can only pay water/waste-water charges; other charges that may be on the bill, such as trash, are not eligible to be paid through this program.
For both of these programs, household income cannot exceed 175% of the federal poverty guidelines. The income limits for a one-person household: up to $25,515; two-person household: up to $34,510; three-person household: up to $43,505; and a four-person household: up to $52,500.
¯ Appointments are required. Please call (740) 370-1328 or visit https://app.capappointments.com/ to schedule your appointment, and write down the confirmation number. Without the confirmation number, your appointment will be not scheduled. Availability for walk-ins is limited, so it is imperative to schedule an appointment and bring the required information to the appointment. For Winter Crisis appointments, some utility providers may offer a one-time only extension for an appointment hold. A No Show for the scheduled appointment may result in service being disconnected.
The following documentation is required:
¯ Most recent utility bills (electric/natural gas/water) and bulk fuel account information
¯ A list of all household members (including birth dates and Social Security numbers)
¯ Proof of U.S. citizenship or legal residency for all household members (ex: Birth Certificates, Social Security cards, Passports)
¯ Proof of disability (if applicable)
¯ Proof of income for the past 30 days for all household members (if self-employed or seasonal, proof of income for the past 12 months is needed).
¯ A co-pay may be needed in some circumstances, of which documentation will also be required.
¯ If the utility bill is in the landlord's name, proof of responsibility for the bill is required. Otherwise, the utility bill must be transferred into an adult household member's name to qualify for assistance.
For more information on the Winter Crisis Program or the Low-Income Household Water Assistance Program in Washington County, call (740) 373-3745 and in Morgan County, call (740) 962-3827. To schedule an appointment, call (740) 370-1328.