Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program

The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) is a federally funded program, run in Georgia by the Division of Family & Children Services (DFCS) through local Community Action Agencies, that helps low-income households pay home energy bills. The heating program typically opens on the first workday of December for residents 65 and older or medically homebound (December 1, 2026) and on the first workday of January for all other eligible residents. The cooling program typically opens on the first workday of April for those groups and the first workday of May for everyone else. Each household can get one heating and one cooling benefit per program year; the amount depends on household size, income and whether seniors live in the home. You cannot apply online: contact the Community Action Agency for your county to schedule an intake appointment. Agencies serve applicants first come, first served until funds run out, and you must keep paying your bill while your application is processed. Households with an energy bill credit of $1,000 or more are not eligible.