STATEWIDE—Colorado residents behind on home heating bills still have time to apply for help. The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) encourages Coloradans in need of financial assistance with home heating costs to take advantage of the program and apply for LEAP benefits before the April 30 deadline.

LEAP is a program of the Colorado Department of Human Services that helps eligible Coloradans from November through April with cash assistance for their home heating bills. The program pays the highest benefits to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size. Applicant income must not exceed 165 percent of the federal poverty index, which equals a maximum income of $3,341 for a household of four people. The average LEAP benefit through March has been $344.

To date, LEAP has helped 68,623 Colorado households with their heating bills. However, there are still thousands of people who are eligible for the program but who have yet to apply.

“I know that many of us are focused on spring this time of year, but LEAP can still provide a huge help to people who have outstanding home heating bills,” LEAP Manager Aggie Berens says. “We will give full consideration to every application we receive before the April 30 deadline.”

People interested in applying can call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) to order a mailed application. Alternatively, applications are available at every county department of social or human services, most utility companies, and many community agencies, like Catholic Charities. Applications also can be downloaded from www.colorado.gov/cdhs/leap.

LEAP applicants must be Colorado residents and U.S. citizens or legal aliens. They also need to provide a copy of a valid identification and a completed affidavit to comply with Colorado Revised Statutes regarding documentation of lawful presence.

Applicants must be responsible for paying heating costs, either directly to a utility company or to a landlord as part of rent.

People eligible for LEAP may also qualify for other benefits, like the Crisis Intervention Program, which helps repair or replace the home’s primary heating system; or the Weatherization Assistance Program, which improves energy efficiency in homes. Colorado also offers a rebate of property tax, rent and heat expenses to low-income seniors and disabled persons. Please visit the Colorado Department of Revenue’s website at https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/sites/default/files/104PTC.pdf