Energy Assistance Available To Seniors

With the need to adjust from the high cooling costs of the record-breaking temperatures this summer to increased heating costs in the coming winter months, many senior citizens with limited income may be hard-pressed to keep up with utility bills this year.

To help meet these needs, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is releasing $101 million in emergency funding for eligible low-income homeowners and renters.

Older adults can use BenefitsCheckUp, a free online screening service of the National Council on Aging (NCOA), to learn if they are eligible for these and other basic benefits.

Information gap

Many older adults may be unaware of federal programs such as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) that offers financial assistance for home energy needs to families or individuals who qualify. LIHEAP is available in all 50 states and the District of Columbia (each state may refer to the program by a different name).

Seniors should use BenefitsCheckUp to search for energy assistance programs in their state. The service helps seniors determine eligibility for LIHEAP and other benefits programs such as savings on food, prescription drugs, and other healthcare needs. It is as simple as completing an online questionnaire.

"With everything else going on in the economy, worrying about being able to keep warm this winter should not be a concern for our nation's seniors," said Stuart Spector, senior vice president at NCOA. "BenefitsCheckUp is a valuable resource that helps seniors and their families find benefits programs for which they are eligible, such as LIHEAP, to take the burden off affording basic necessities."

In addition to using BenefitsCheckUp, homeowners and renters can follow these simple tips from the U.S. Department of Energy to save energy and money:

Change your lights to energy-saving compact florescent lights

Ensure exterior doors are properly sealed

Turn off the power to home electronics when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power)

Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry