Rhode Island households that struggle with winter heating bills can now apply for the state’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP. The program also offers crisis grants for homes facing a heat shutoff.
The Rhode Island Department of Human Services says the application period for federal fiscal year 2027 opened October 1, 2026. People can apply online or through the Community Action Agency that serves their area, and the state encourages applying as early as possible.
What the heating and crisis grants cover
LIHEAP is a federal program that, according to the Administration for Children and Families, helps with home energy bills, energy crises, weatherization and minor energy-related home repairs. The same DHS page lists two kinds of help in Rhode Island. Heating assistance is a grant toward heating costs, usually paid to a fuel vendor or utility and occasionally to the applicant. Crisis assistance is “a grant to help resolve a home heating crisis caused by a heat shut-off.”…