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Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) (LIHEAP) in North Carolina
North Carolina's Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) makes a one-time payment to your heating company each winter.
Households with someone 60 or older, or a disabled person getting services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services, can sign up first, Dec. 1 to 31; everyone else applies Jan. 1 to March 31. A separate Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) helps all year with heating or cooling emergencies.
How to apply in North Carolina
- In person
- Apply at your county Department of Social Services (DSS). The state lists every county office in its Local DSS Directory and tells people to contact their county DSS for exact application dates.
Applying is free. Nobody should charge you to apply.
Apply on the official siteWho may qualify in North Carolina
| Income limit, one person, households with someone 65 or older or disabled (FY 2026 chart, the latest posted) | $1,956 a month for one person (150% of the federal poverty level) |
|---|---|
| Income limit, two people, households with someone 65 or older or disabled (FY 2026 chart, the latest posted) | $2,644 a month for two people (150% of the federal poverty level) |
| Income limit, one person, other households (FY 2026 chart) | $1,695 a month for one person (130% of the federal poverty level) |
| Who pays the bill | Your household must be responsible for its heating costs |
| Savings limit for crisis help (CIP) | $4,500 if someone in the home is 60 or older or disabled; $3,000 for other households |
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (source 2)
What you may get
| LIEAP payment (FY 2026 chart) | $300 to $500, paid once to your heating company. For one or two people it is $300 or $400, depending on income. |
|---|---|
| Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) | Help with a heating or cooling crisis, such as no heat or cooling or a shut-off notice, when someone's health or safety is at risk. Apply by mail, email, fax or drop-off at your county DSS; a final notice or past-due bill is enough. |
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (source 2)
Dates, renewals and waiting lists
| Early sign-up for older and disabled people | Dec. 1 to 31 for households with someone 60 or older, or a disabled person getting services through the Division of Aging and Adult Services |
|---|---|
| LIEAP sign-up for all other households | Jan. 1 to March 31, or until funds run out |
| Cooling help | Through the Crisis Intervention Program only, July 1 to June 30 or until funds run out |
| Crisis Intervention Program application period | July 1 to June 30, or until the money runs out |
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (source 1)
How North Carolina is different
Where North Carolina's rules differ from the federal rules for LIHEAP heating and cooling help.
- Households with someone 60 or older or disabled get the whole month of December to sign up before anyone else.
- Regular LIEAP uses a lower income limit (130% of poverty) except for older or disabled households, which use 150%.
- Crisis help has a savings limit: $4,500 for households with someone 60+ or disabled.
- Weatherization and furnace repair or replacement (HARRP) are run by the Department of Environmental Quality through community action agencies.
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (source 1)
Good to know
- For questions or to apply, the state tells people to contact their county Department of Social Services; its pages don't list a statewide energy phone line.
Source: North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (source 4)
Free help
Free help with this in North Carolina
More help in North Carolina
Help with heating and cooling bills in another state
- Alabama
- Alaska
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- California
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- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
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- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
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- Kentucky
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- South Carolina
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- Texas
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- Vermont
- Virginia
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- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
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Sources
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Low Income Energy Assistance (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, LIEAP 130% and 150% Chart, Federal Fiscal Year 2026 (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling) (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Energy Assistance (official government site). Checked Oct 28, 2026.
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