Written by a parent, not a doctor. Nothing here is medical advice.

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Louisiana program

Help with heating and cooling bills (LIHEAP)

Louisiana energy assistance helps eligible households with heating, cooling and energy emergencies through local agencies.

What it is

Louisiana energy assistance helps eligible households with heating, cooling and energy emergencies through local agencies.

Energy assistance can put money toward a household utility bill. Heating and cooling have separate seasons, and crisis help runs year-round. The local intake agency checks income, the bill and available funds.

Eligibility rules
  • Income at or under about $4,122 a month for three people, or $4,907 for four, through September 2026. The agency looks at the last 30 days’ pay, not a yearly figure.
  • These limits apply through September 30, 2026. For help from October 1, the Louisiana Housing Corporation or parish agency must confirm the new year’s limits. The agency checks its household rules and recent income, generally with the prior 30 days’ documents; dividing annual income by 12 does not settle eligibility.
What you get
  • A payment toward an eligible heating or cooling bill.
  • A separate crisis route when the energy account is at risk.
What the help covers
  • For federal fiscal year 2026, regular heating and cooling awards range from $200 to $800 each; year-round crisis help is up to $1,000. The agency calculates the actual award and checks funding and previous assistance. The model plan allows one regular heating and one regular cooling benefit, with funded supplements only when authorized. Ordinary crisis help is limited to one payment in a rolling 12 months. The agency confirms new-year amounts and frequency for help from October 1, 2026.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask the local intake agency for your parish about seasonal help or a crisis request.
  2. Have the utility bill, household income records and any shutoff notice ready.

Louisiana Housing Corporation, through local intake agencies · Official page ↗

After you apply
  • Under the guide effective April 1, 2026, a complete eligible crisis request has a 48-hour resolution standard, or 18 hours for a life-threatening crisis. Resolution may be a confirmed utility arrangement rather than cash to the family. The agency separately confirms ordinary processing and payment timing. Submitting a request does not itself pause shutoff; the utility must confirm the arrangement.
Good to know

Crisis requests are handled by phone or in person. Seasonal funding can run out before the season ends.

Other details
  • The listed heating season is December 15 through March 31. Cooling runs April 13 through September 30. Crisis intake spans October 1 through September 30.
  • A closed online portal does not establish that parish intake is closed. The local agency confirms appointments, funding and whether a crisis request can be handled by phone or in person.

Federal background: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could energy assistance help with our bill? What are the limits and timing, and could you help us reach the right local office if it fits?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand whether help can reach the utility account when it is needed.

More background and detailed requirements
Additional program information and published rules

Who does what

The three parts, side by side. The agency decides; nobody on this page does.

You

Call the local agency, bring the bill and proof of income.

Your social worker

The hospital social worker often knows which local agency still has funds.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The local intake agency for the Louisiana Housing Corporation.
Ask the agency
“My child is in cancer treatment at home and the power bill is behind. Can I apply for energy help, and is there a crisis route today?”

How to apply

First step: Find the local intake agency for your parish and call, saying whether a shutoff notice has arrived.

  1. Find your parish's intake agency and call before the season's money runs out.
  2. Say plainly if a shutoff notice has arrived, because crisis help is open all year.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Contact the local intake agency for your parish. Crisis requests have to be made in person or by phone.

What to gather

  • The current power bill
  • Proof of income for everyone at home
  • Any shutoff notice

How long: Not published. Ask the local agency what it is running to.

What a yes looks like

A payment made directly to the utility on your account.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Often the money has run out rather than a rule. Ask when the next round opens.

Watch out

  • Online applications are closed and crisis requests are never taken online. You have to reach the local agency.
  • Seasonal money runs out before the season ends.
  • The income limits change on October 1, 2026.

The numbers and the rules

The arcane layer, kept on purpose. Checked September 11, 2026.

What it is worth

Energy help for households at or under $58,882 a year for four, $49,460 for three and $40,039 for two.

  • $58,882/year — Household of 4, annual income limit (federal fiscal year 2026)
  • $49,460/year — Household of 3, annual income limit
  • $40,039/year — Household of 2, annual income limit
  • $30,618/year — Household of 1, annual income limit
  • $68,303/year — Household of 5, annual income limit
  • $77,724/year — Household of 6, annual income limit

Covers: Payment towards a heating or cooling bill · Crisis help when the account is in danger

What it costs the family: None.

The eligibility facts, as published

Income
at or below 60% of state median income, published as annual figures for households of 1 to 6
Seasons
heating December 15 to March 31; cooling April 13 to September 30; crisis October 1 to September 30
Intake
online applications are closed; crisis requests are not taken online

The trap: Online applications are closed and crisis requests are never taken online. You have to reach the local intake agency, and the money runs out before the season ends.

Where I read this

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