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

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Utah program

Help with the energy bill (HEAT)

Utah’s HEAT program helps eligible families with energy bills and utility crises.

What it is

Utah’s HEAT program helps eligible families with energy bills and utility crises.

An energy bill can become harder to cover when treatment changes your income. HEAT works through local agencies. The ordinary application queue and crisis help have different timing.

Eligibility rules
  • The administering agency uses 150% of poverty. Local eligibility staff confirm the amount for your household.
What you get
  • A seasonal payment toward heating costs.
  • Year-round crisis help and possible utility bill credits.
What the help includes
  • Utility credits depend on the company and program.
  • Rocky Mountain Power’s HELP and Enbridge’s gas assistance may provide separate bill credits. The utility or HEAT office confirms the current amount, frequency, effective date and enrollment conditions before you budget for a credit.
If you decide to apply
  1. Ask your county’s energy assistance office about HEAT and any separate crisis help.
  2. Have recent energy bills, current income and any shutoff notice ready.

County energy assistance office; Utah Community Action for Salt Lake and Tooele · Official page ↗

After you ask
  • An approved payment goes to the utility account. Rocky Mountain Power’s tariff protects against termination for at least 30 days after a qualifying payment arrives.
Good to know

An ordinary HEAT application can take six to eight weeks. If a shutoff notice has arrived, ask for the crisis route instead; it must be answered within 48 hours.

Other details
  • Utah Community Action serves Salt Lake and Tooele counties; other counties have their own energy assistance offices.
  • Utah Community Action describes an October 1–September 30 program year. Your county office confirms current opening dates and priorities. For an eligible crisis, federal rules require resolving assistance within 48 hours, or 18 hours if life-threatening, subject to the disaster exception. That is separate from the ordinary queue and does not promise a cash-payment date.

Federal background: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.

Official sources
Ask your social worker

“Could HEAT or crisis assistance help with our energy bill? What could arrive before any shutoff date, and could you help us identify the right county office?”

Why I’m asking: I want to understand which help can keep essential utilities affordable during treatment.

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

Apply at the office for your county, and say if a shutoff notice has arrived.

Your social worker

The agency processes the application and tells the utility.

The care team

Records and letters when the application asks for them.

Who decides
The local community action agency decides.
Ask the agency
“I have a child in cancer treatment and the energy bill is behind. Is there crisis help as well as the seasonal payment?”

How to apply

First step: Find the energy assistance office for your county and apply, saying whether a shutoff notice has arrived.

  1. Apply through the local office for your county.
  2. If a shutoff notice has arrived, ask for crisis help by name rather than waiting in the ordinary queue.
  3. Ask the electricity company about the monthly lifeline credit at the same time.

Official application / program page ↗

Where it starts: Apply through your county's energy assistance office; Utah Community Action covers Salt Lake and Tooele.

What to gather

  • Recent energy bills
  • This month's income
  • Any shutoff notice

How long: Utah Community Action estimates six to eight weeks for ordinary applications in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Other offices and eligible crisis cases have different timing.

What a yes looks like

A payment on the utility account and, once received, at least 30 days safe from termination.

What a no looks like, and the next move

Ask which income figure was used and whether crisis help is separately available.

Watch out

  • Utah Community Action estimates six to eight weeks for ordinary applications in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Other offices and eligible crisis cases have different timing.
  • Utah publishes the percentage but not the dollar table, so the figure on this page is ours, not the state's.
  • The two published versions of the electricity credit disagree; ask the company what your credit actually is.

Dates that change this

2025-04-25: The candidate HELP amounts conflict. The company must confirm the governing tariff and effective date before a current dollar credit is quoted. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

2026-10-01: The administering agency gives the season as October 1 to September 30 while the utility regulator's page gives October to the end of February. Ask your local office which applies this year. (not yet confirmed against the final rule)

The numbers and the rules

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

What it is worth

Seasonal energy assistance at the local program’s 150%-of-poverty screen, with utility-specific credits confirmed by the company.

  • $18/month — Rocky Mountain Power lifeline credit
  • $109 — Enbridge Gas energy assistance credit

Covers: A seasonal payment towards heating · Year-round crisis help · Monthly electricity and gas bill credits

Legal protection: At least 30 days without termination after the electricity company receives a qualifying payment

What it costs the family: Nothing to apply.

The eligibility facts, as published

Income
150% of the poverty line, as stated by the administering agency
Residency
Utah
Processing standard
Utah Community Action estimates six to eight weeks for ordinary applications in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Other offices and eligible crisis cases have different timing.

Decisions this site cannot make: A local agency eligibility decision

Expect friction on: Utah Community Action estimates six to eight weeks for ordinary applications in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Other offices and eligible crisis cases have different timing.

The trap: Utah Community Action estimates six to eight weeks for ordinary applications in Salt Lake and Tooele counties. Other offices and eligible crisis cases have different timing.

Where I read this

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