LIHEAP in Berks County: Heating Help and How to Apply

LIHEAP, the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, pays a one-time heating grant of $200 to $1,000 straight to your utility or fuel dealer, and the 2026-27 season is open now: applications are accepted from Nov. 2, 2026, through April 23, 2027, according to the state Department of Human Services. It is a grant, not a loan: no repayment, no need to be on another public benefit, no need to owe a past-due bill. In Berks County the program is run by the Berks County Assistance Office at 625 Cherry Street in Reading, LIHEAP line 610-736-4228 or 866-215-3911, and online through COMPASS.

LIHEAP is a federal program. In Pennsylvania the state Department of Human Services (DHS) runs it through its county assistance offices, which are state offices that happen to be named for the county. It is not a county program. If your heat is already off, you are out of fuel, or you have a shutoff notice, skip to the crisis section below: the state's rules call for crisis help within 48 hours of application, or 18 hours in a documented medical emergency.

Who qualifies

Eligibility turns on income and household size, plus three conditions the state plan sets: you must be responsible for heating costs, live in Pennsylvania, and show lawful status for any non-citizen in the home (§ 601.31). DHS counts everyone who lives in the home, including children, related roomers, and unrelated roomers who share household expenses, and compares total yearly income to this table, which the application page marks effective Feb. 1, 2026:

Household size	Maximum yearly income
1	$23,940
2	$32,460
3	$40,980
4	$49,500
5	$58,020
6	$66,540
7	$75,060
8	$83,580
Each added person	add $8,520

Those figures are 150 percent of the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, which the FY 2027 LIHEAP State Plan sets as the limit for both cash and crisis grants; the 2026 guideline is $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for four. The state brochure says the limits "will be updated in February 2027," so a household just over the line now may qualify later in the season.

Renters and homeowners both qualify. The State Plan says renters who pay for heat as an unlabeled part of their rent "will receive the full LIHEAP Cash benefit for which they qualify" (§ 601.42), and in that case DHS pays the household rather than a utility (§ 601.44). The main exclusion is tenants, including subsidized-housing tenants, whose rent includes an unlabeled amount for heat and is set as a fixed percentage of their income or on their source of income (§ 601.31). A subsidized tenant who pays a utility directly for heat still qualifies. Non-citizens must show immigration status for each non-citizen in the home.

How much Berks households get

The grant depends on household size, income and fuel type, and the state posts a benefit table by county. For Berks County, natural gas, the table pays the full $1,000 to a one-person household with yearly income under $3,000, $841 at $3,000 to $3,999, $457 at $7,000 to $7,999, and the $200 minimum at $14,000 and up; a four-person gas household gets $862 at $3,000 to $3,999 and $200 from $14,000. Fuel oil pays more at the same income (a one-person oil household gets $1,000 up to $4,999 and $200 only from $16,000), and electric heat a little less (for households of one to four, the $200 floor starts at $13,000; larger households get a few dollars more until $14,000). The posted table lists income bands only through $22,999 and does not say which season it covers, so treat it as a guide; the written notice is the final word.

In practice, a household earning more than about $14,000 to $16,000 a year should expect the $200 minimum. The State Plan projects about $182 million for benefits statewide and says DHS "may increase or decrease the proposed benefit levels" if federal funding differs from the estimate, and may shorten or extend the season.

The money goes to your utility or fuel dealer as a credit on your account; the brochure notes that "in some cases, the check may be mailed to you directly." The State Plan allows one cash grant per household per season (§ 601.43), with supplemental payments, subject to available funds, for households that include someone 60 or older, someone with a disability or a child age five or under, up to $175 on top of the grant, and the application warns that you "may not qualify because LIHEAP money has run out," which is the reason to apply early.

Crisis grants: no heat, no fuel, or a shutoff notice

A crisis grant is separate money for a household that is "without heat or in imminent danger of being without heat." DHS lists these situations on its LIHEAP page:

• broken heating equipment or leaking fuel lines that must be fixed or replaced;
• no fuel, or less than a 15-day supply of a delivered fuel such as oil or propane;
• the main heating source, or the electric service that runs it, has been shut off;
• a notice that utility service will be shut off within the next 60 days.

The crisis grant is the amount needed to end the emergency, from $25 up to $1,000, and you can get more than one crisis grant in a season until you reach that $1,000 cap, per the brochure and the State Plan. The State Plan's rules call for a crisis to be resolved "within 48 hours after application," or "within 18 hours after application if a life-threatening situation exists," which must be a documented medical emergency. DHS's web page states it more loosely: eligible applicants "will receive benefits within 10 business days of applying, or sooner for those who are experiencing a time-sensitive, life-threatening crisis." Both are official; the 48-hour figure is the rule in the State Plan, the 10-day figure is what the web page promises.

Two timing rules matter in winter. First, the Public Utility Commission's winter moratorium bars regulated gas and electric utilities from shutting off income-eligible customers from Dec. 1 to March 31 without PUC approval, so the State Plan says shutoff notices dated in that window "are not proof of a home heating emergency" (§ 601.108). Second, under the plan's Termination Program, DHS will start accepting shutoff notices from regulated utilities as proof of a crisis on Feb. 1, 2027, two months before the moratorium ends. An actual shutoff, or a delivered-fuel supply that will run out within 15 days, counts at any time. Past-due balances alone are not a crisis unless they would lead to termination.

To report a crisis, call the Berks CAO's LIHEAP line at 610-736-4228 or 866-215-3911. If you have not applied this season, you must file the regular application to be considered for crisis money; if you already received a cash grant, call the CAO to report the emergency. DHS says crisis help "is available 24 hours a day" through the county assistance office, but the Berks directory entry lists hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and no after-hours number, so call to confirm what happens outside those hours.

Furnace repairs: the LIHEAP Emergency Services Program

If the problem is a broken furnace rather than an unpaid bill, LIHEAP can pay for the repair. The State Plan continues the old DHS/DCED "Crisis Interface" under the name LIHEAP Emergency Services Program: the CAO determines eligibility and the type of emergency, then either fixes the problem directly or refers it to the local weatherization agency, which must address it "within 48 hours, or 18 hours if the emergency is considered to be life-threatening or an immediate health risk." The plan's appendix adds that this does not mean the repair or replacement itself must be finished in that time; the agency must contact the household and work out a timeline within it. Covered work includes heating-system and fuel-line repairs, replacement of a system that cannot be repaired, and pipe thawing tied to the emergency. You apply through the CAO, not the weatherization agency.

In Berks the weatherization agency is Berks Community Action Program, which also runs the separate, non-emergency Weatherization Assistance Program, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and administered by DCED. The addresses disagree: DCED's provider list puts BCAP at 247 North Fifth Street, 2nd Floor, Reading, (610) 375-9770, while BCAP's own site gives 645 Penn Street, 3rd floor, Reading, 610-376-6571, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., closed 12:30 to 1:30. Call before you go. Question 14 on the LIHEAP application lets you ask for a free weatherization referral; a separate Berks Beat guide on that program is in the works.

How to apply

DHS lists two ways to apply, online and on paper; the county office also takes questions in person and by phone.

1. Online. Go to COMPASS, the state's benefits site, and choose LIHEAP. DHS says applying there "can make your application process easier as a returning applicant."
2. On paper. Download the 2026-27 application (form HSEA 1; Spanish and seven other languages are linked from the DHS page), answer every question on its four pages, sign at the red X, attach your proof, and mail it to the Berks County Assistance Office, 625 Cherry Street, Reading, PA 19602-1188, or use the office's drop box. Paper applications are also available at the office, or by calling the LIHEAP hotline at 1-866-857-7095.
3. In person or by phone. The Berks County Assistance Office is in the Reading State Office Building, 625 Cherry Street, Reading, listed as open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., though a notice on COMPASS says county assistance offices are closed until 11 a.m. on Thursdays, and until 1 p.m. on Thursdays starting Nov. 5, 2026; general line 610-736-4211, toll-free 1-866-215-3912, fax 610-736-4004. DHS says caseworkers at the county office can help and answer questions in person or by phone.

The same office handles SNAP, Medicaid and cash assistance; our companion guide to the Berks County Assistance Office covers those programs and what to expect at the counter.

What to send with the application

The application's checklist on page 4 says the office cannot process an application without proof, so gather these before you start:

• names, birth dates and Social Security numbers for everyone in the home (people without a number sign an affidavit on page 3);
• proof of all income for the month before the month you apply (pay stubs, award letters, employer statements), or 12 months if you choose the yearly option; if you already get SNAP, Medicaid or cash assistance you can let DHS use the income on file;
• a copy of your main heating bill dated within two months of the application, or for oil, propane, coal or wood a receipt from January of last winter or later;
• if heat is included in your rent, a copy of the lease or a signed statement from the landlord saying how you pay for heat and what kind of heat it is;
• proof of immigration status for any non-citizen;
• both the main and the electric bills if you want the grant sent to the electric company that runs your furnace;
• a statement of how the household pays for food and rent, if you report no income or less than your basic living costs.

Question 17 asks whether DHS may share your application with your utility to enroll you in its discount programs; this is optional and does not affect the grant.

After you apply

Check status at trackmybenefits.pa.gov. DHS sends a written notice saying whether you qualify and the amount, and you may appeal any decision or undue delay. The State Plan says the agency will send a written decision on eligibility within 30 days of the date of application (§ 601.22); the 10-business-day and 48-hour figures above apply to crisis cases only. You must reapply every season; last season's recipients get a notice to apply early in a "pre-season" window.

If you get SNAP and have an elderly or disabled household member, the State Plan's "Heat and Eat" rule issues a heating assistance benefit to households responsible for heating costs that have not already been approved for LIHEAP, which qualifies the household for the highest SNAP utility allowance.

Other help with the bill

LIHEAP is often the first step, not the only one. The PUC says most gas and electric utilities offer a Customer Assistance Program (CAP) with an income-based bill and some debt forgiveness, a usage-reduction program (LIURP), and a hardship fund that pays grants "directly to the utility company on behalf of the customer." Who you call depends on who sends your bill:

• Met-Ed customers: 800-545-7741. Its hardship fund is the Dollar Energy Fund, which opens Oct. 1 "and remains open until funds are exhausted"; apply through Dollar Energy at 888-282-6816 or online at dollarenergy.org with a utility bill and proof of income. Met-Ed's customer assistance program, PCAP, is also applied for through Dollar Energy. (If a door-to-door solar pitch about your Met-Ed bill is what brought you here, see our guide to the "Met-Ed is paying for solar" claim.)
• PPL Electric customers: 800-342-5775. Its hardship fund, Operation HELP, gives grants that "do not need to be paid back" to households up to $39,900 for one person, $54,100 for two, $82,500 for four, plus $14,200 per added person; the Berks intake agency is Community Action Partnership of Lancaster County, 717-299-7301 or 800-732-0018. PPL's CAP, OnTrack, uses the same income limits as LIHEAP.
• UGI customers: 800-276-2722 on UGI's own assistance page; the PUC lists UGI's assistance line as (800) 844-9276 or (800) UGI-WARM. Operation Share is UGI's hardship fund for residential customers at or below 250 percent of the poverty guidelines, applied for through the community agency assigned to your ZIP code; UGI's CAP uses 150 percent.

Under the PUC's customer-protection rules, a utility must send a 10-day notice before a shutoff, a termination notice is good for 60 days, a doctor's certification can block a shutoff for 30 days with up to 60 more, and during the moratorium service must be restored within 24 hours once you pay. The PUC's consumer hotline is 1-800-692-7380.

Older residents can also claim the state's Property Tax/Rent Rebate, and the county's Area Agency on Aging helps residents 60 and older find and apply for services. For food, Helping Harvest, the regional food bank, is at 117 Morgan Drive, Reading, 610-926-5802, Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. For anything else, PA 211 East covers Berks County around the clock: dial 211 or text your ZIP code to 898-211.

FAQ

When does LIHEAP open and close in Pennsylvania for 2026-27?

The season opened Nov. 2, 2026, and is scheduled to close April 23, 2027, for both cash and crisis grants. DHS can shorten or extend the season depending on funding, so apply early. The DHS page's FAQ section still shows last season's dates, Dec. 3, 2025, to May 8, 2026, which are out of date.

Do I qualify for LIHEAP if my heat is included in my rent?

Usually yes. Renters whose heat is an unlabeled part of the rent get the full cash grant, paid to them rather than a utility, and must send a lease or landlord's note describing the heat. The exception is subsidized housing where rent, heat included, is a fixed share of income.

How much is the LIHEAP grant in Berks County?

Between $200 and $1,000 for the one-time cash grant, based on household size, income and fuel. On the state's Berks table most households with yearly income above about $14,000 get the $200 minimum for gas or electric heat, and the full $1,000 goes to households under about $3,000 (gas or electric) or $5,000 (oil). Crisis grants are separate, from $25 to $1,000.

What counts as a heating crisis?

Broken heating equipment, no fuel or less than a 15-day supply, a shut-off main or secondary heating source, or a shutoff notice for service ending within 60 days. Between Dec. 1 and March 31 a notice from a PUC-regulated utility does not count because the utility cannot shut you off then; DHS starts taking those notices again Feb. 1, 2027. Call the Berks LIHEAP line, 610-736-4228 or 866-215-3911.

Can I get LIHEAP and my utility's hardship fund at the same time?

Yes. The utility hardship funds (Met-Ed's Dollar Energy Fund, PPL's Operation HELP, UGI's Operation Share) are separate from LIHEAP and have their own, generally higher, income limits. You can apply to each directly, or let DHS share your application with your utility through question 17.

Does Berks County government run LIHEAP?

No. LIHEAP is federal money run by the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services through the Berks County Assistance Office, a state office at 625 Cherry Street in Reading. The office at 625 Cherry Street is a state office, not a county one.

Sources

• Pa. Department of Human Services: Apply for LIHEAP (season dates, grant range, income table, crisis list, 10-business-day statement, hotline), the LIHEAP resource page (60-day shutoff-notice rule, State Plan), the FY 2027 LIHEAP Final State Plan, the 2026-27 application, HSEA 1, the 2026 brochure, HSEA 18, the County Assistance Offices directory, Helpful Phone Numbers, the LIHEAP Benefit Amount Table and COMPASS.
• HHS Poverty Guidelines for 2026.
• Pa. DCED: Weatherization Assistance Program and its local provider list; Berks Community Action Program weatherization and contact pages.
• Pa. Public Utility Commission: Protections for Responsible Utility Customers (February 2026) and Utility Assistance Programs.
• Met-Ed assistance programs; PPL Operation HELP, OnTrack and agency list; UGI assistance programs and Operation Share; Dollar Energy Fund.
• PA 211 East and its About Us page; Helping Harvest.

Berks County Assistance Office: Reading State Office Building, 625 Cherry Street, Reading, PA 19602-1188; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. (closed Thursday mornings per a DHS notice, until 1 p.m. from Nov. 5, 2026); LIHEAP 610-736-4228 or 866-215-3911; general 610-736-4211 or 1-866-215-3912; fax 610-736-4004. Statewide LIHEAP hotline: 1-866-857-7095, Monday through Friday (711 for hearing-impaired callers). DHS HelpLine: 1-800-692-7462. PUC consumer hotline: 1-800-692-7380. Corrections: corrections@berksbeat.com.