Colorado energy and utility bill assistance: LEAP, furnace repair and weatherization (2026-27)

How LEAP moves through 64 county offices and Discover Goodwill

LEAP is state supervised and county administered. All 64 county human services offices handle outreach and referrals, but for FFY 2026 the state contracts directly with Discover Goodwill, a Colorado nonprofit, to decide eligibility for 55 of those counties ⁠². The other counties process their own files. Either way, the state’s central LEAP system pays your heating vendor electronically ⁠².

If heat is included in your rent, or your fuel dealer has not signed a LEAP vendor agreement, the benefit goes onto a Colorado EBT card or, if you choose, into your bank account ⁠². Vendors that sign must bill you only the remaining balance and may not treat LEAP households differently ⁠².

The 60% of state median income test for 2026-27

Colorado sets its LEAP income limit at 60% of state median income (SMI), not 150% of the poverty guidelines. Poverty levels are used only to size the benefit ⁠³. CDHS bases the 2026-27 limits on the SMI figures HHS released in April 2026 ⁠¹. The table above shows them by household size; for a family of four the line is $7,258 a month, or $87,096 a year. That is up from $6,938 a month in the 2025-26 season ⁠³.

The test uses gross income for the calendar month before the month you sign the application ⁠¹. Other rules:

• You must pay for heat, either directly to a utility or fuel dealer or to a landlord as part of rent ⁠¹.
• Subsidized housing with heat in rent is not eligible. If you live in subsidized housing but pay a heat vendor directly, or pay your landlord a heat surcharge, you can qualify ⁠².
• Lawful presence. Members born outside the U.S. need a document such as a naturalization certificate, passport, permanent resident card or refugee or asylee papers ⁠¹.
• Other benefits are not affected. Receiving LEAP does not change SNAP, SSI, Colorado Works, Old Age Pension or Aid to the Needy Disabled ⁠¹.

How CDHS turns last winter’s heating bills into a $200 to $1,000 benefit

Rule 3.758.47 starts from your home’s estimated heating cost for November through April, taken from the actual primary-fuel bills your vendor reports for the prior heating season ⁠³. If no valid history exists, the county uses a flat rate set by fuel and dwelling type ⁠³. The state then cuts that cost by a statewide percentage set each year from expected applications and funding, and by a household contribution based on income against the federal poverty level ⁠³.

Source: LEAP 2025-2026 rates handout and benefit methodology ⁠³. CDHS had not posted 2026-27 poverty cutoffs or flat rates when this guide was reviewed.

Electric heat is counted only in part: 62% of the electric bill for a house or mobile home, 48% for a duplex or townhouse, 43% for an apartment, condo, cabin or tiny home and 50% for an RV ⁠³. Households in subsidized housing have $180 per season deducted, and households sharing a home split the cost ⁠³. The result is then held between a $200 minimum and a $1,000 maximum ⁠³. The FFY 2026 plan also caps winter crisis payments at $1,000 ⁠². Sample 2025-26 flat rates: $571 for a natural gas house, $1,157 for a propane house ⁠³. LEAP does not pay for space heaters or other portable heat ⁠¹.

Shutoff notices, empty propane tanks and broken furnaces

Crisis help is not a separate grant. A household counts as in crisis if service is off or a shutoff is threatened, the fuel tank is empty or will be within two weeks, or heat is included in rent and the landlord has served an eviction notice ⁠². Those applications are fast-tracked, and the payment is whatever fixes the problem, up to the lower of your regular benefit or $1,000 ⁠². The state plan commits to resolving a crisis within 48 hours, or 18 hours when it is life-threatening ⁠². CDHS says emergency applications can be expedited in 10 days; call 1-866-HEAT-HELP rather than mailing ⁠¹.

Bring the shutoff notice, or a statement of how much bulk fuel you need. A renter whose heat is in the rent needs the eviction notice plus a landlord statement agreeing not to evict for 30 days if LEAP approves ⁠². Regulated utilities that sign the LEAP agreement must restore disconnected service within 24 hours of approval and keep it on for at least 60 days ⁠².

A broken heating system goes to the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP), run by Energy Outreach Colorado for CDHS. It repairs or replaces non-working furnaces and wood stoves, supplies temporary heat and responds within 24 hours in emergencies, but not routine maintenance. After LEAP approval, call 1-855-469-4328 ⁠⁴. Spending follows the repair needed, with a $4,800 average cap ⁠². Renters qualify only if the landlord also meets LEAP eligibility ⁠². CIP runs all year until funds run out ⁠².

Applying for LEAP between November 1 and April 30

1. Check the calendar

   Applications open November 1, 2026 and close April 30, 2027. You get one heating benefit per season ⁠¹. Households that got LEAP last year are mailed an application in mid to late September, and counties may accept early applications from older, disabled and young-child households starting October 1 ⁠².

2. Choose how to apply

   The fastest routes are online through Colorado PEAK or by phone at 1-866-432-8435; no interview is required ⁠¹. Paper applications go to your county LEAP office by mail, email or drop-off ⁠¹.

3. Gather income proof

   Collect pay stubs, award letters and other income records for the month before you sign, for every household member ⁠¹.

4. Add your heating bill

   Include your most recent heating bill, or a rent receipt if heat is in your rent ⁠¹.

5. Add identity documents and sign

   Include lawful presence papers, Social Security numbers and birth dates for all members. Missing items are the most common cause of delay ⁠¹.

6. Keep paying your bill

   Do not stop paying while you wait; ask the utility for a payment plan or budget billing if you are behind ⁠¹.

7. Watch for the notice

   Most non-emergency applications are decided in 10 to 25 days. The letter states the amount and vendor; check status at 1-866-432-8435 ⁠¹.

8. Follow up on extras

   If the furnace is out, call CIP once approved ⁠⁴. LEAP approval also qualifies you for regulated utilities’ affordability programs ⁠⁹.

Weatherization through the Colorado Energy Office: county limits up to $120,000

The Weatherization Assistance Program is run by the Colorado Energy Office (CEO), not CDHS. LEAP transfers its weatherization share to CEO under an interagency agreement ⁠². After a free energy audit, crews may seal air leaks, insulate attics, floors and walls, repair or replace the furnace, and install LED bulbs, efficient appliances or, on a limited basis, an air-source heat pump ⁠⁵. Homes weatherized in the past 15 years are not eligible again ⁠⁵.

Colorado does not use a single 200% of poverty line. CEO’s eligibility chart gives each county the highest of the area median income, state median income or poverty-based limit ⁠⁵. For a four-person household the chart CEO links (checked October 2026) ranges from $87,096 a year in counties such as Pueblo, Mesa and Alamosa to $120,000 in Boulder County. Denver is $115,200 and El Paso $93,120 ⁠⁶. Anyone in the home receiving SNAP, TANF, SSI, Aid to the Needy Disabled or LEAP may qualify automatically ⁠⁵.

Renters need the owner’s permission. Owners of buildings with five or more units apply through Energy Outreach Colorado’s multifamily team, and RVs are excluded ⁠⁵. Eligibility does not guarantee service, and waiting lists vary ⁠⁵. Apply online or through your county’s provider, such as Energy Resource Center, Housing Resources of Western Colorado or Pueblo County Weatherization ⁠⁵. If you are denied, appeal to the provider within 30 days, then in writing to CEO’s Weatherization Program Manager ⁠⁵.

PUC rules: no shutoffs at 32°F, 90-day medical holds and income-based bills

Customers of PUC-regulated utilities such as Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy have these protections with or without LEAP:

• Cold and heat. A utility must postpone residential disconnection on any day the morning National Weather Service forecast calls for 32°F or lower in the next 24 hours. Electric utilities must also postpone when 95°F or higher is forecast ⁠⁷⁠⁸.
• Medical certificate. A certificate from a Colorado-licensed physician or authorized practitioner delays disconnection for 90 days, once in any 12 months. No payment can be required to honor it ⁠⁷⁠⁸.
• Payment plan. Paying at least one-tenth of the amount on the disconnection notice and entering an installment plan stops the shutoff. Utilities also cannot disconnect for past-due amounts under $50 ⁠⁷.

Rules 3412 and 4412 require investor-owned electric and gas utilities to offer an “[Utility name] Affordability Program.” You qualify with income at or below 200% of poverty or 80% of area median income, or through LEAP eligibility ⁠⁹. A participant’s electric payment is held to 3% to 6% of household income when electricity is the heating fuel, or 2% to 3% when it is not. Gas heating bills are held to 2% to 3% ⁠⁹⁠¹⁰. Past-due balances are credited down to zero over 1 to 24 months ⁠⁹.

To get screened, the PUC’s Utility Bill Help program refers Atmos Energy, Black Hills Energy, Colorado Natural Gas and Xcel Energy customers to their utility’s program. It is not an emergency service ⁠¹¹. The 2025-26 round ran from October 1, 2025 to August 31, 2026 ⁠¹². Its 2025-26 county limits for four people ranged from $81,600 to $120,480 a year ⁠¹³. The PUC had not confirmed a 2026-27 opening when this guide was reviewed. Rules 3412 and 4412 cover only investor-owned utilities whose rates the PUC regulates, not municipal utilities or cooperatives ⁠⁹⁠¹⁰.

Appealing a LEAP denial: 10 days locally, 90 days to the state

A denial notice explains your appeal rights. You can ask the county or Discover Goodwill for a local review within 10 days of the notice date. You can also skip that step, or appeal its result, by asking for a state hearing within 90 days of the notice ⁠². If your application has not been acted on in time, you can request a dispute resolution conference with the state LEAP office ⁠². Colorado held 27 LEAP fair hearings in the prior federal fiscal year and reversed none ⁠², so a complete first application matters more than an appeal. If you are turned down for income, CDHS points applicants to Energy Outreach Colorado and HEAT HELP for other options ⁠¹.

Compare Colorado with other states on the energy and utility assistance page.