As an Idaho resident who struggles with paying electric bills, you have assistance available to you. Here are a few resources provided through Idaho electric bill assistance programs that you may qualify for.
One program is the federal-funded Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This program provides one-time assistance towards energy bills and is available from November to March. To qualify, your household income must be less than 60% of the state median income. To apply for LIHEAP assistance, contact your local Community Action Partnership in Lewiston, Idaho Falls, Garden City, Twin Falls, Pocatello, or Payette. There are certain periods throughout the year where new applications are accepted, so you need to find out when the deadline is before it is too late for you to receive energy credits on your bill.
Rocky Mountain Power customers have a couple different programs available to them. The HEAT Assistance Program allows eligible customers to receive credits on their power bills. The Lend A Hand program, administered through the American Red Cross, also provides electric bill assistance, targeting the elderly and the disabled.
Idaho Power customers can take advantage of the Project Share program. This program specifically helps those who are struggling paying heating bills because of disability, age, injury, or loss of employment. Project Share is managed through the Salvation Army.
There are also several weatherization programs available for Idaho residents. Weatherization can help you lower your electric bills long term, allowing your energy to be more affordable. To find out about these weatherization programs, contact your local Community Action Partnership.
While Idaho LIHEAP programs focus primarily on reductions in your bill each month, many of the community nonprofit organizations located in most counties provide actual cash payments to your utility operator. This emergency assistance can be of tremendous help when you find yourself in a difficult situation where you are facing disconnection of service. Your electricity provider will notify you with an official notice prior to turning off your electricity. You must take this disconnection notice with you when you are requesting emergency electric bill assistance.
Long is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a B.A. in Industrial Relations. He subsequently received his Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Duke University. His Certificate in Financial Planning was issued by Florida State University.
Long has achieved the Accredited Credit Counselor and Accredited Financial Counselor certifications through the Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education. Long originally achieved the Certified Credit Counselor designation through the National Institute for Financial Education.
In addition to years of nonprofit leadership, Long has been an innovator in the field of volunteer tax return preparation programs. He assists volunteer associations and nonprofit organizations who seek to integrate credit counseling and asset-building programs with free personal income tax preparation. His approach to using free credit reports as both an incentive and a screening tool for placement into asset-building programs has been shared with members of the National Community Tax Coalition, the EITC-Carolinas Initiative of MDC, Inc. and nonprofit groups across the Carolinas.
Long assists members of our armed forces in the Carolinas, Iowa, Rhode Island, Georgia and Germany with financial readiness. Please support our Soldiers, Marines, Airmen and Sailors!
Favorite quote:
"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."
Thomas Jefferson
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