Do you need help paying your energy bills? Energy Assistance opens on October 1

Minnesotans can now apply for Energy Assistance funds to help reduce their electricity and heating bills or pay down past-due balances. The  Energy Assistance program formally opens on October 1, 2024, and applications are accepted until May 31, 2025, or until funds are exhausted.

Eligibility for Energy Assistance is based on household income. Take a look at the income guidelines to the right to see if your household qualifies for benefits. 

Energy Assistance is administered by local service providers based on the county or tribal nation in which you reside; use the dropdown menu below to identify which organization will be processing your application.

Apply online, request an application by mail, or contact your local organization to fill out an application in person.

Select your county or tribal government

Aitkin Anoka Becker Beltrami Benton Big Stone Blue Earth Brown Carlton Carver Cass Chippewa Chisago Clay Clearwater Cook Cottonwood Crow Wing Dakota Dodge Douglas Faribault Fillmore Freeborn Goodhue Grant Hennepin (Both Minneapolis and Suburban) Houston Hubbard Isanti Itasca Jackson Kanabec Kandiyohi Kittson Koochiching Lac Qui Parle Lake Lake of the Woods Le Sueur Lincoln Lyon Mahnomen Marshall (East) Marshall (West) Martin McLeod Meeker Mille Lacs Morrison Mower Murray Nicollet Nobles Norman Olmstead Otter Tail Pennington Pine Pipestone Polk (East) Polk (West) Pope Ramsey Red Lake Redwood Renville Rice Rock Roseau St. Louis Scott Sherburne Sibley Stearns Steele Stevens Swift Todd Traverse Wabasha Wadena Waseca Washington Watonwan Wilkin Winona Wright Yellow Medicine Bois Forte Fond du Lac Grand Portage Leech Lake Lower Sioux Mille Lacs Prairie Island Red Lake Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Upper Sioux White Earth

Important Information to Know:

• Energy Assistance funds can be used to both pay down past-due balances and to pay your regular monthly bill. Assistance levels range between $200 to $1,400 per household, depending on household income and fuel costs. 
• If you qualify for Energy Assistance, you may be eligible for additional help like heating system repair or replacement. Additional emergency grants of up to $600 can be provided if households receive a shut-off notice, are disconnected from service, or have low levels of delivered fuel, contact your local service provider to learn more. 
• If you have received a shut-off notice, contact your local service provider and let them know. They will move your application up in priority. Then, contact your utility and let them know that you have an outstanding Energy Assistance application; you may be able to delay your disconnection until your application has been approved or denied.
  • Check out our guide to avoiding disconnection.
• Processing your Energy Assistance application can take several weeks. Contact your Energy Assistance provider if you haven’t received a status update four weeks from your initial application date.
• Service Providers may contact you via mail or email with updates on your application or to verify information, such as household income. Check your mail and email regularly to ensure you aren’t missing anything important. 
• The Department of Commerce also administers the Weatherization Assistance Program, in which eligible homes who apply for energy assistance are automatically enrolled. This service provides free home energy upgrades. 

Affordability Programs

Qualifying for Energy Assistance will also qualify investor-owned utility customers for Affordability Programs which provide supplemental help to reduce energy bills. For example, Xcel Energy offers both a PowerOn program and Gas Affordability Program (GAP), which provide discounts on your electric and gas bills, respectively.

See below for a list of utility affordability programs. Each utility’s program is different. Contact your utility directly for enrollment information and with any questions. 

Xcel Energy – PowerOn, Gas Affordability Program, and Senior Discount

CenterPoint – Gas Affordability Program

Minnesota Power – CARE Program

Minnesota Energy Resources (MERC) – Gas Affordability Program

Otter Tail Power – Uplift program 

Great Plains – Gas Affordability Program

Greater Minnesota – Gas Affordability Program
 

CUB is here to help you 

If you have any questions about Energy Assistance, utility bills, your rights, or any other energy concerns, CUB is here to help. Call us at 651-300-4701 or email us at info@cubminnesota.org with any questions or concerns.