Tennessee Energy Assistance Program
The Tennessee Department of Human Services administers the state's Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP. Tennessee's LIHEAP program is funded entirely by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Families in 85 Tennessee counties may apply to one of the 19 local government or nonprofit community organizations that operate LIHEAP locally. The program provides financial assistance, which is paid directly to energy providers, for home heating and cooling needs to 60,000 families each year, as of 2011.
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LIHEAP Annual Energy Assistance
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LIHEAP provides annual energy assistance to eligible families and also provides energy crisis intervention to applicants who require immediate assistance to prevent life-threatening situations related to loss of home heating or cooling. Eligible households receive assistance for energy costs of heating or cooling with electricity, natural gas, coal, wood, fuel oil, kerosene or L.P. gas.
Eligibility and Applications
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Tennessee families are eligible for LIHEAP if they live at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty guidelines. Eligible families receive assistance if funding is available. The program prioritizes applications to target households that have members who are under six years of age, disabled or elderly. Tennessee LIHEAP provides an application on its website which can be downloaded and printed. The application requires a list of all members of the household, the amount of your utility bills and supporting documentation such as bills, receipts and proof of income.
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Weatherization
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The Weatherization Assistance Program, or WAP, assists eligible households with home weatherization to reduce energy costs. WAP provides weatherization assistance in all of Tennessee's 95 counties and prioritizes applications from households with members who are young children, disabled or the elderly. WAP provides an application on its website for download and printing. WAP also provides a searchable map to locate your county WAP office.
Local Emergency Energy Assistance
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Local organizations that operate the LIHEAP programs throughout the state provide additional emergency energy assistance in their geographical areas with help from utility providers, charities and state and federal funds. For instance, the Blount County Community Action Agency provides administers non-LIHEAP funds for emergency energy assistance funded through a variety of sources, including Share the Warmth.
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References
- TN.gov: Home Energy Assistance - LIHEAP
- Tennnessee.gov: Home Energy Assistance - LIHEAP
- Blount County Community Action Agency: Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)
- Blount County Community Action Agency: Emergency Energy Assistance Programs
- TN.gov: Weatherization Assistance Program - Recovery Information
Resources
- Photo Credit Tennessee state contour against blurred USA flag image by Stasys Eidiejus from Fotolia.com
