Indiana Families of Four Earning Up to $16,133 Over Three Months Can Apply for Energy Assistance Through April 30, 2027

For a family of four in Indiana, the line for heating and electric help sits at $16,133 in total income over the most recent three months, or about $5,378 a month. A household at or under that amount can apply for the state’s Energy Assistance Program, known as EAP, through April 30, 2027, according to the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.

The online portal opened Oct. 1, 2026. The money is a one-time annual payment sent straight to the utility, and it depends on federal funding.

The income limits by household size

Indiana’s program serves households at or below 60% of the state median income, and the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority, or IHCDA, counts income from the most recent three months. The limits it lists for those three months are:

• 1 person: $8,389
• 2 people: $10,970
• 3 people: $13,551
• 4 people: $16,133
• 5 people: $18,714
• 6 people: $21,295

For scale, the one-person limit works out to about $2,796 a month and the two-person limit to about $3,657 a month.

The IHCDA table continues up to 10 people, where the limit is $23,231. Renters whose utilities are included in their rent may still qualify, according to the agency, and applicants in that situation submit a tenant verification statement or a current lease.

The program is federally funded through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and is Indiana’s version of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, according to IHCDA’s LIHEAP page. The agency says EAP helps more than 100,000 Hoosier families a year, according to its program partners page.

How to apply, and how long the money takes

Applications can be filed online through the LITT portal, by mail or in person. EAPConnect, the earlier system, is no longer used. A paper application or an in-person appointment comes from a local service provider, which collects documents and decides eligibility. IHCDA lists those providers by county on its EAP page, along with phone numbers. Phone appointments are also available through the providers.

Among the providers on the agency’s list are Community Action Program, Inc., of Western Indiana (765-793-4881 for EAP), Area IV Agency on Aging and Community Action Programs (765-447-7683), Hoosier Uplands Economic Development Corporation (812-849-4447) and Interlocal Community Action Program (765-529-4403). The full county-by-county map is on the IHCDA page.

Applicants need proof of income and current utility bills or account statements. Providers may ask for more.

The page is blunt about timing. A provider has up to 55 days to decide eligibility. After approval, the utility may take about 30 more days to apply the benefit, and direct-pay benefits can take up to 120 days. IHCDA asks applicants not to follow up before 120 days have passed. The agency does not state benefit amounts on the page, and says benefits depend on federal funding.

A household that is denied can reapply with updated documents 55 days after the previous submission, according to IHCDA. Denied applicants also have 30 days to appeal to the local provider in writing or through LITT, and the provider must respond within 14 calendar days. A second-level appeal goes to IHCDA, whose line is 317-232-7777. Those appeals can be emailed to [email protected] or mailed to 30 South Meridian St., Suite 900, Indianapolis, IN 46204. No new documents can be submitted at that stage, and the decision is final.

Faster help exists for emergencies. IHCDA says a provider must offer a mitigating action within 48 hours in a heating crisis, such as a disconnection notice or propane or fuel oil at or below 25%. It must act within 18 hours for a life-threatening crisis, which requires a documented medical need and an extreme safety concern.

Why applying early can protect against a shutoff

Indiana bars regulated gas and electric utilities from shutting off service from Dec. 1 through March 15 for customers who have applied for EAP and qualify, even if no benefits have been paid, according to the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor’s winter moratorium page. Bills still come due during the moratorium. The state’s FAQ site says customers remain responsible for charges incurred during the period, and 24 community action agencies statewide take applications, per the IN.gov consumer FAQ.

The moratorium has limits. The consumer counselor’s page applies it to utilities regulated by the Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission and does not address propane. A utility must also postpone a disconnection for 10 days if a licensed physician or public health official provides a medical statement showing a serious, immediate threat to health or safety, and one more 10-day postponement is available with another statement.

The state also describes a payment arrangement for customers who contact the utility about falling behind. The customer pays the lesser of $10 or 10% of the bill for electric service, or $25 or 10% for natural gas, then the rest within three months, while paying new charges when due. The customer cannot have broken a similar agreement in the past 12 months.

The Tonic Edit covered the shutoff protection in an earlier story on Indiana’s winter utility moratorium.

For households that need other help or are unsure where to start, dialing 2-1-1 connects callers to local utility assistance resources, according to 211.org. The application window runs seven months, from Oct. 1 to April 30, and the decision alone can take up to 55 days.

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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.

Image: TheWxResearcher – CC0/Wikimedia Commons