Dear neighbors,
In response to the alarming spike in propane costs in the area, the Minnesota Department of Commerce recently announced additional financial assistance for eligible Minnesotans currently heating their homes with propane and heating oil.
Financial assistance is available through Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program (EAP) and households with an income less than 50 percent of the state median income ($43,642 for a family of four) may qualify.
There’s also newly-created hotline operating Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 4:30pm for Minnesotans who have questions about the current propane situation or who are in danger of running out of heating fuel. Call 1-800-657-3504 for assistance.
Thanks to all the work by Minnesota officials, it was announced last week that Minnesota will receive an additional $15,814,434 in federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) funds for the Energy Assistance Program (EAP). The total amount of funds Minnesota has received this year is $114,540,746.
I strongly urge you to share this information with anyone you know who is impacted by the propane shortage. Payments have been increased from $500 to $1,000 to deal with such dramatic need during this brutal winter.
HOW TO APPLY TO FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE:
EAP pays utility companies directly on behalf of eligible households. Qualifying families must apply for assistance at the local service provider in their area.
To find a list of local service providers and information on applying for the Minnesota Energy Assistance Program, you can call 1-800-657-3710 or visit the Energy Assistance section of the Division of Energy Resources website:
http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/consumers/Heating-Assistance/
Other forms of assistance may be available through county social service programs, community-based organizations, and nonprofit agencies. See the Stay Warm Minnesota webpage for a list of resources:
http://mn.gov/commerce/energy/topics/resources/Stay-Warm-Minnesota/
If you are dealing with these heating related challenges, I urge you to take advantage of these options. I’ll continue to work with other state and federal officials to investigate ways to improve our propane availability and oversight of this industry in Minnesota. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Roger Erickson