Utah Utility Assistance for Kinship Caregivers — LIHEAP, HEAT, and More

When a Bigger Household Means Bigger Utility Bills

Adding a child — or two or three — to your home raises your electricity, gas, and water bills. For grandparents and relatives already on fixed incomes, those extra loads of laundry, longer showers, and a bedroom that needs heating can push monthly utility costs past what the budget can absorb.

Utah has several programs that can bring those bills down. The main one is HEAT, the state's version of the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

HEAT: Home Energy Assistance Target

HEAT is Utah's primary energy assistance program, funded by the federal LIHEAP block grant and administered through the Utah Department of Workforce Services (DWS). It helps low-income households — especially those with elderly members, young children, or people with disabilities — pay winter heating and summer cooling costs.

Who qualifies: Households at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. The household's size and income determine eligibility; include the child if they live with you.

What it covers: HEAT provides energy assistance to eligible households. The benefit amount is determined under current HEAT program rules.

How to apply: The program year runs October 1 through September 30, or until federal funds run out. Applications from households with a disabled member, someone age 60 or older, or a child under six are accepted beginning October 1; applications from the general public are accepted beginning November 1. Apply through your local HEAT office or online through DWS. You'll need proof of income and a recent utility bill.

Kinship advantage: HEAT makes its own household income determination. Receiving the Specified Relative Grant does not automatically qualify the household.

HEAT Crisis Assistance

If you're in danger of a utility shutoff, contact your local HEAT office about crisis assistance. The DWS customer service line is 1-866-435-7414.

Utility Company Programs

Utah's major utilities run their own assistance programs alongside HEAT:

• Rocky Mountain Power's HELP (Home Electric Lifeline Program): Provides a monthly discount on electric bills for income-qualifying households. Apply directly through Rocky Mountain Power.
• Dominion Energy's ThermWise Weatherization: Offers free home weatherization (insulation, caulking, furnace tune-ups) to income-eligible customers, which permanently reduces your heating costs.
• Municipal utility discounts: If you're served by a city utility (like Murray City Power or Provo City Power), check with your city for senior or low-income rate programs.

Utah 211 and Community Action Agencies

If HEAT funding has run out or you don't qualify, dial 211. United Way 211 connects you to Community Action Agencies across Utah that distribute emergency utility funds from private donations, CSBG (Community Services Block Grant) money, and local charitable sources. These funds are limited and first-come, first-served, but they exist specifically for the gap between what HEAT covers and what households actually need.

Community Action Agencies also help connect households to the federal Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP), which provides energy-efficiency improvements to qualifying homes and can reduce energy costs.

How Kinship Status Helps

When you're raising a grandchild or relative's child, your household includes a minor. That matters for utility assistance in two ways:

1. Earlier application window. Households with a child under six, a person age 60 or older, or a disabled member can apply starting October 1; applications for the general public start November 1.
2. Higher income limits. Every additional household member raises the income ceiling. A single retiree might be just over the line, but adding the grandchild to the household count can bring you back under.

You don't need legal guardianship to include the child in your HEAT application. As long as the child lives in your home, they're part of your household for utility assistance purposes.

Applying for Multiple Programs

Before combining utility assistance, check with each provider about its eligibility rules and whether the aid can be combined. Start with HEAT, then contact your utility provider and Utah 211 about other local help.

For help navigating all the financial programs available to Utah kinship caregivers — not just utilities — the Utah Kinship Financial Help guide walks through cash grants, Medicaid, SNAP, and more in one place.

See more Utah guides →