Energy Assistance Program (EAP) - Household Counts FY2017-2025

The EAP assists low-income households in meeting their immediate home energy needs. To be eligible, households must have a heating or cooling expense and gross monthly income may not exceed 130 percent of the federal poverty level. Applications for Fuel, Crisis, and Cooling assistance are accepted at the local departments of social services. The EAP consists of four components: • Fuel Assistance: This primarily provides assistance with purchasing home heating fuel and paying primary heat utility bills • Crisis Assistance: This is intended to meet a household’s emergency heating need. Assistance offered includes one-time only heat security deposit, portable heater for temporary use, purchase of home heating fuel, payment of heat utility bill, payment for emergency shelter, and/or heating equipment repair/purchase • Cooling Assistance: This provides purchase or repair of cooling equipment and/or payment for electricity to operate cooling equipment • Weatherization Assistance: This applies air infiltration measures to the housing structure. The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) administers this component

The Virginia Energy Assistance Program was established by the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Act of 1981 and Title III of the Human Services Amendments of 1994 and other amendments, which authorize grants to states to assist eligible households in the costs of home energy. The Act also established a Leveraging Incentive Program.