Funds for energy assistance in the Triangle available

RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (NC DHHS) announced Monday it has received funding for the 2026 Low Income Home and Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from federal partners.

As ABC11 reported last week. the funding was delayed following the federal government shutdown, NCDHHS and county staff have been preparing so they would be ready to open for new Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) applications once federal funds were received.

DHHS says, the LIEAP and the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP) are two programs supported by LIHEAP block grant funding.

North Carolinians who are eligible for assistance and did not receive an auto-renewal or notice of automated payment can apply for benefits starting on Wednesday, Dec. 10.

What is LIEAP?

The federally funded program provides low-income households with a one-time payment sent directly to their heating vendor to offset the high cost of warming their homes during the cold weather months.

Payments were automatically distributed at the end of November to heating vendors for households with a member of their household who qualifies. Click on NCDHHS for more information.