Oregon energy and utility bill assistance: LIHEAP, OEAP and weatherization (2026)

Two programs, one intake: how LIHEAP and OEAP split in Oregon

Neither program is an entitlement. LIHEAP is first come, first served and fuel blind: it pays electric, natural gas, oil, propane, wood or pellet costs ⁠². OEAP pays electric bills only, always to PGE or Pacific Power. State law tells agencies to put customers facing an electric shutoff first ⁠². If you live in PGE or Pacific Power territory, one appointment can screen you for both.

OHCS does not determine eligibility or award grants to households ⁠¹. It funds local agencies, and the draft 2027 LIHEAP State Plan counts 18 of them. Community action agencies decide eligibility and pay vendors for every component ⁠³. Each agency designs its own local procedures, so practice differs a little from county to county ⁠¹. Funding is also assigned by county, which is why OHCS tells callers to use their own county’s number ⁠⁴.

In the draft FFY 2027 plan, OHCS budgets 50% of the federal grant for heating, 10% for cooling, 2% for year-round crisis, 15% for weatherization, 10% for administration and 3% for energy-need reduction services. It holds 10% back as carryover. The year before, cooling got 15% and summer crisis 5% ⁠³. The plan is still a draft, so these shares can change.

The 60% of median income test for Program Year 2027

Oregon uses the higher of the two federal options: 60% of state median income, not 150% of poverty. It applies the same limit to heating, cooling and crisis help ⁠³. The PY 2027 figures (shown in the table above) took effect October 1, 2026 and rose about 5% from PY 2026. A family of four could earn $73,817 last year and can earn $77,550 now ⁠²⁠¹. As of October 20, 2026, the OHCS web page still showed the PY 2026 table. The manual and Pacific Power’s discount page both carry the new numbers ⁠¹⁠¹².

How agencies count income:

• Gross, not net. All household income before deductions counts. Wages a minor earns are left out ⁠².
• The look-back. Agencies verify at least one month or 30 days of income. They may use three or twelve months, then annualize. They count income already received and do not project future pay ⁠².
• Zero-income adults. Any adult with no income signs a Declaration of Household Income ⁠².
• Energy burden. You must show you pay for energy. Renters whose heat is included in non-subsidized rent qualify through a landlord letter. People in subsidized housing with utilities included are generally not eligible ⁠².

Reading the 2027 benefit matrix: region, fuel and income band

Your standard payment comes from an OHCS matrix, not from your bill amount. The matrix splits the state into two regions. Region 1 is the 18 western counties from Clatsop to Curry, including Multnomah, Lane and Jackson. Region 2 is the 18 counties east of the Cascades, from Hood River and Deschutes to Malheur. Each household size has four income bands ⁠². The draft State Plan lists a $250 minimum and a $750 maximum for heating and for cooling ⁠³.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

Heating oil, propane and wood figures are the same in both regions. Cooling payments (electric) match the electric heat column. Source: PY 2027 manual ⁠².

A one-person household in the top band gets the $250 floor for electric heat ⁠². You get one standard payment per program year. You do not need a past-due bill or shutoff notice to apply ⁠⁴. A roomer, boarder or owner who applies apart from the rest of the home gets 50% of a regular payment ⁠². If your oil, propane or wood benefit is too small to meet a dealer’s minimum delivery, the agency can issue a fuel payment of up to $1,000 instead ⁠².

Crisis payments, furnace replacement and the 18-hour rule

Oregon runs crisis help year-round as a separate payment. OHCS defines a crisis as a sudden event outside your control that leaves you unable to pay heating or cooling costs. Examples are a job or benefit loss, a medical cost, a broken furnace or domestic violence. Chronic nonpayment and unexplained high bills do not count ⁠². You must receive your standard payment first, though the agency can issue both at one appointment as a “combo” payment ⁠².

The equipment cap was $12,000 in PY 2026. Larger jobs need OHCS pre-approval. Source: PY 2027 manual ⁠².

Agencies must act within 48 hours of a completed crisis application. A life-threatening crisis, such as a household member with an active utility medical certificate whose service is off or due off within five days, must be handled within 18 hours ⁠². Agencies must hold back some LIHEAP crisis money until March 15 each year ⁠². Equipment work on a rental needs the owner’s written authorization. A carbon monoxide alarm and an inspection after the work are required ⁠². Agencies can also buy a portable or window air conditioner for a home with no cooling, limited to one every three program years ⁠².

Applying with your county’s community action agency

1. Find your county’s agency

   On the OHCS Oregon Energy Assistance Programs page, choose “Find Your Community Action Agency,” or call 1-800-453-5511, option 1 ⁠¹. Many agencies book appointments through an automated phone line ⁠⁴.

2. Ask for another way to apply if you can’t come in

   Homebound applicants can ask to apply by phone, by mail or through a home visit ⁠¹.

3. Gather documents

   Bring ID for every adult and income proof for everyone except minors’ earnings. Bring both your heating bill and your electric bill, in the name of an adult in the home ⁠². For LIHEAP, the agency must verify a Social Security number for each member with official papers. Exceptions include children under one and some domestic violence cases. OEAP does not require Social Security numbers ⁠².

4. If your appointment is after your shutoff date

   Call the utility, tell them you have an energy assistance appointment, and ask for a payment plan ⁠⁴.

5. Get your pledge

   The agency tells you the amount it will pledge and pays your utility directly. It can take two to three billing cycles to show on your account, so keep paying your bill ⁠⁴.

6. Answer any pending notice

   If papers are missing, the agency must give you a written notice and hold the file at least 15 calendar days before denying it ⁠².

7. Appeal a denial

   Every denial notice explains how to request a fair hearing at the agency. Within 30 days of the hearing decision, you can ask OHCS in writing to review it. Mail it to 725 Summer St NE Suite B, Salem, OR 97301, or email [email protected] ⁠².

8. Reapply each program year

   A new year opens October 1 ⁠³.

Weatherization at 200% of poverty, and SHOW for oil-heated homes

Weatherization is free work on the home, not a bill payment. It is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, LIHEAP, the Bonneville Power Administration and Energy Conservation Helping Oregonians (ECHO). ECHO is paid for by a public purpose charge on PGE and Pacific Power bills ⁠⁶. The income limit is 200% of the federal poverty guidelines: $43,280 a year for two and $66,000 for four ⁠⁵. The draft DOE state plan also treats households in HUD means-tested programs at or below 80% of area median income as income-eligible ⁠⁷.

An agency auditor visits first. Work can include insulation, air sealing, minor energy-related repairs, furnace repair or replacement and duct improvements ⁠⁵. Agencies keep a waiting list. They rank applicants aged 60 and older, people with disabilities, children 18 and under, high energy users, and homes spending 6% or more of income on energy ⁠⁷. The draft plan projects 348 DOE-funded homes statewide for July 2026 to June 2027, so expect a wait ⁠⁷. The weatherization agency can differ from your bill-payment agency. Lane, Klamath, Lake and Clackamas counties use separate providers ⁠⁵.

Homes heated with fuel oil have one more option: the State Home Oil Weatherization (SHOW) Program. It makes cash payments to homeowners or contractors for conservation work. Tier 1 pays more for households at or below 200% of poverty. Applications are due within one year of installation and are funded first come, first served from an annual petroleum supplier assessment ⁠⁸.

Shutoff protections and bill discounts regulated by the Oregon PUC

Rules from the Oregon Public Utility Commission (PUC) cover customers of PGE, Pacific Power, Idaho Power, NW Natural, Avista and Cascade Natural Gas. Rules adopted in December 2025 pause disconnections for all residential customers during a severe weather event and for 48 hours after it. Income-qualified and medical certificate customers pay no reconnection fee. Customers reconnecting now get up to six billing cycles to pay off past-due balances ⁠⁹.

A medical certificate blocks shutoff when disconnection would seriously endanger someone’s health. You can self-certify at first, but a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant must confirm in writing within 30 days. The certificate lasts up to six months, or twelve for a chronic condition. You still owe the bill and must sign a payment agreement ⁠¹⁰.

The 2021 Energy Affordability Act (HB 2475) let the PUC approve income-based discounts for customers of the state’s investor-owned utilities; Cascade Natural Gas, for example, set its cutoff at 60% of state median income ⁠¹⁴. The two largest electric programs:

• PGE Income-Qualified Bill Discount. 15% to 80% off energy use, based on household size and income. No financial documents are needed, it lasts two years, and it stacks with LIHEAP or OEAP ⁠¹¹.
• Pacific Power Low-Income Discount. It uses the same PY 2027 income table as OHCS. You re-enroll every two years, and LIHEAP or OEAP within 12 months re-enrolls you automatically ⁠¹². Eligible customers pay no late fees or deposits ⁠¹³.

The PUC regulates only investor-owned utilities, so these rules do not cover city-owned utilities, public utility districts or electric cooperatives ⁠⁹. Ask your own utility what it offers. For other states’ limits, see the 50-state energy assistance comparison.