Indiana Utility Relief Programs: Energy Assistance, the Winter Moratorium, and Utility Help

Indiana's Energy Assistance Program this winter

EAP is a once-a-year grant toward home energy. The money goes to your gas, electric, propane, or fuel oil company as a credit on your account. You never repay it. Indiana runs it as a winter program: its federal fiscal year 2027 LIHEAP state plan lists heating and winter crisis help from October 1, 2026 to April 30, 2027 and no separate summer cooling program.

The plan sets aside 58% of Indiana's LIHEAP money for regular heating benefits, 15% for winter crisis, and 9% for weatherization. Any crisis money not spent by March 15 can be moved to other parts of the program. Federal funding is not final yet: the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released about 90% of fiscal 2027 LIHEAP money on October 9, 2026, under the stopgap budget signed in September. Our LIHEAP guide explains how the federal program works.

Income limits for 2026–27

Indiana uses 60% of the state median income for all household sizes and counts gross income, before taxes. Agencies have looked at the three months before you apply, so ask yours which period it uses this season. NIPSCO's assistance page posts the 2026–27 EAP yearly limits, which match the state's 60% figure:

The monthly column is our division of the yearly figure, rounded. Your local service provider applies the official chart, which is final. Renters can qualify. If heat is included in your rent, you can still apply, but crisis money cannot go toward a utility your landlord pays.

Applying online or through a local agency

For program year 2027, IHCDA replaced the old EAPConnect site with a new online system called LITT. The portal is open around the clock, and you get a log-in number and code to check your status. You can also ask your local service provider (usually the county's community action agency) for a paper application by mail, a phone appointment, or an in-person visit. Start at IHCDA's Energy Assistance Program page or find your county on the Indiana Community Action Poverty Institute's agency map.

What to have ready

• Your most recent gas and electric bills, or your fuel dealer's name and account number.
• Proof of gross income for every adult for the period your agency asks for (often the last three months): pay stubs, Social Security or SSI letters, unemployment, child support.
• Social Security numbers and photo ID.
• Any shutoff notice, payment plan, or prepaid balance screen if you are asking for crisis help.

Some agencies mail paper applications to seniors and other priority households a month before the season opens. Our documents checklist can help you collect anything missing. IHCDA takes program questions at eap@ihcda.in.gov, but your local provider handles your actual case.

Crisis benefits and emergency repairs

Indiana does not run crisis help as a separate application. Your agency looks for a crisis when it reviews your EAP file and pays the crisis amount along with your regular benefit. Under the state plan, you are in a crisis if any of these is true:

• You have a disconnection notice for your heating fuel or electric service.
• You are on a payment plan or extension to avoid a shutoff.
• Your heat or electricity is already off.
• Your prepaid electric account will run out within about ten days.
• Your propane or fuel oil tank is low (the full $400 is paid up front for delivered fuels).

The award is the exact amount needed to stop the shutoff, restore service, or clear the payment-plan balance, up to $400 per utility. If you did not use your full crisis amount and a new emergency hits on or after March 1, you may get one more round. Agencies must act within 48 hours, or 18 hours when life is at risk.

Broken furnace? Homeowners whose heating equipment does not work are screened for Emergency Repair or Replacement. Renters are not eligible for this part and should contact their landlord.

How the winter moratorium protects you

Indiana Code 8-1-2-121, in force since 1983, bars electric and gas utilities from disconnecting residential service from December 1 through March 15 for customers who are eligible for and have applied for EAP. It covers investor-owned utilities, city-owned utilities, and rural electric co-ops (REMCs).

Utilities can still disconnect for a safety hazard, a court or commission order, tampering, or theft of service. The moratorium does not cover water or sewer. Your bills keep adding up, so pay what you can each month to avoid a large balance on March 16.

New summer heat protection

House Enrolled Act 1002, signed in February 2026, added a summer pause on electric shutoffs when the National Weather Service forecasts a heat index of 95°F or higher within 48 hours, as WFYI reported. The same law moves eligible low-income electric customers onto level monthly billing and requires electric utilities to offer low-income assistance programs. The Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission (IURC) was still putting the rules in place in 2026, so ask your utility how it applies.

Medical holds. A statement from a doctor or public health official can delay a shutoff. NIPSCO, for example, says a certificate delays disconnection up to 10 days, with one more 10-day period allowed within 12 months. If a utility ignores these rules, you can complain to the IURC's Consumer Affairs Division or ask the Office of Utility Consumer Counselor (OUCC) for help.

Indiana utility relief programs by company

Most of these work alongside EAP rather than replacing it. Several only start once you are approved for EAP, which is one more reason to apply early.

Amounts come from each utility's own pages and announcements. AES Indiana describes the monthly credit on its Power of Change page and in a July 2026 announcement. Duke's and Citizens' details come from local announcements and the federal LIHEAP Clearinghouse's Indiana utility program list. Funds like these can close when donations run out, so call to check before you count on them.

Every regulated Indiana utility also offers payment arrangements and budget billing. Ask for any agreement in writing and keep a copy.

Township trustees, charities, and weatherization

Township trustees. Indiana law makes each township trustee responsible for emergency "township assistance" to residents who cannot meet basic needs. Many trustees help with a utility bill once EAP has been tried. Each township sets its own standards, so call your trustee's office and ask what it needs from you.

Charities. The Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, and church funds sometimes cover part of a balance. Dial 2-1-1 to see what is open in your county. Our guide to Salvation Army help with utility bills explains how those programs usually work.

Weatherization. Homes up to 200% of poverty can get free insulation, air sealing, furnace work, and water heater repairs through the same local agencies that run EAP. Expect a waiting list. See our weatherization guide.

Water. EAP and the moratorium do not cover water. Ask your water utility about payment plans.

Related guides

• Indiana hardship relief
• Indiana assistance programs
• Eviction help in Indianapolis
• Emergency utility assistance near me

Frequently asked questions

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Benefit amounts, income limits, and dates are set by IHCDA, local agencies, the IURC, and each utility, and can change with funding. National Relief Program is an independent website and is not affiliated with the State of Indiana, any utility, or any government agency.