You may be able to receive money from the government thanks to the support of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which offers financial support to those families who have financial difficulties paying their electricity bills during months with extreme weather, such as cooling in summer or heating in winter.
But you may also receive a free air conditioner through the Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which helps repair and upgrade your home to make it more energy efficient and your electric bills lower every time.
“In 2017, my family received over $18,000 in free home repairs through our Local Weatherization Assistance Program. Most of the funds were used to install a ductless heat pump. Provided efficient heating and cooling for our home,” Nicole Thelin explained to lowincomerelief.com.
“We’ve never had air conditioning in our house before. I was surprised that we got a free air conditioner from the government! However, installing that heat pump reduced our energy bills from $650 a month to just $150 a month. It also made our home much more comfortable in the summer,” he added.
Who Qualifies for WAP or LIHEAP?
Individuals who want to qualify for the weatherization assistance program must have an income at or below 200% of the federal poverty level. This is a standard federal measure, but the program allows states to use 60% of the state median income as a metric for eligibility. Some participating states automatically consider you and your family eligible if you receive other social financial assistance, such as SSI or TANF.
While WAP weatherization assistance program funds come from the federal setting, they are administered locally, so the maximum amount you will receive depends on where you live and what the realities of where you live are. Some states that have distributed free air conditioners are, for example, California, Illinois and Washington, among others. Call your local Community Action Agency for more information.
The LIHEAP program provides financial assistance to low-income households and operates in all 50 states and Washington DC. This program helps you cope with high heating or cooling bills during the year.
This is a block grant to the states granted by the Federal Government to finance the LIHEAP program. Each state can decide how to manage the resources and what are the requirements to apply. This program, in addition to the WAP, can also provide free air conditioning to families in need. Some states use LIHEAP funds instead of WAP funds to distribute these equipments. New York, Texas (through CEAP), Mississippi, Nebraska and Pennsylvania have provided air conditioners through this program.
Eligibility for LIHEAP Energy Assistance
To be eligible for LIHEAP, you must have an income that 150% of the maximum federal poverty level, or 60% of the state median income. You may be automatically eligible if you receive SSI, TANF, SNAP benefits, or veterans programs with income verification.
Approach your nearest community action agency to ask if they offer both the WAP and the possibility of getting an air conditioner. The idea of updating these home air conditioning systems is to provide modern equipment that consumes much less energy than the old electronic equipment, with high energy efficiency certifications.
