West Virginia energy and utility bill assistance: LIEAP, Emergency LIEAP and weatherization (2026)

A state-run program: 54 DoHS offices decide every LIEAP case

West Virginia is one of the states where the welfare agency itself makes every eligibility decision. The FFY 2027 State Plan names the state welfare agency as the decision-maker and payer for heating, cooling and crisis assistance, and lists 54 local DoHS offices as the administering sites ⁠³. Community Action Agencies, senior centers and VA centers help with applications but must forward them to the county DoHS office the same or next day ⁠⁴.

How DoHS pays depends on your fuel. Gas and electric companies regulated by the Public Service Commission (PSC) that have signed a DoHS vendor agreement are paid directly. Households heating with fuel oil, propane, coal, kerosene or wood normally get the Regular LIEAP payment themselves ⁠⁴. FY 2027 funding is split 40% heating, 10% cooling, 16% crisis, 15% weatherization, 10% administration and 9% carried forward; in FY 2026 heating got 61% ⁠³.

Reading the FY 2027 income chart, including the eight-person figure

DoHS uses 60% of state median income for households of one to seven people and switches to 150% of the federal poverty guidelines at eight people ⁠³. It counts gross income received or expected in the month you apply, not last year’s income. Weekly pay is multiplied by 4.3 and biweekly pay by 2.15 to get a monthly figure ⁠⁴. Self-employed applicants deduct 20% of gross receipts, and SNAP, student aid and tax refunds are excluded ⁠⁴. There is no asset test ⁠³. Only citizens and qualified noncitizens are counted as LIEAP household members, but everyone’s income in the home is counted ⁠⁴.

The FY 2027 fact sheet and the LIEAP web page list $7,675 a month for nine people and $8,385 for ten, plus $710 for each additional person ⁠²⁠¹. Both print $6,695 for eight people, which is below 150% of the 2026 poverty guideline for eight ($55,720 a year, or $6,965 a month) ⁠¹¹. The manual’s FY 2027 benefit chart has a bracket running to $6,965 that includes eight-person households ⁠⁴. If your eight-person household falls between those two figures, apply and ask the worker to check; a denial can be appealed (see the steps below).

How the base chart and fuel multipliers set a Regular LIEAP payment

The eligibility system computes the Regular LIEAP benefit itself. It starts with a base amount from Appendix A of Chapter 21 of the Income Maintenance Manual, which goes down as income rises and up as household size grows. That base is multiplied by a fuel factor: 1.750 for electricity, 1.198 for natural gas, and 1.089 for propane, coal, wood, fuel oil and kerosene ⁠⁴. The chart’s base amounts run from $60 to $255. The State Plan puts Regular payments at up to $446.25, which is the $255 top base times the electric factor ⁠³.

Scroll the table sideways to see every column.

The manual prints the second bracket as starting at $1,158; $2,158 follows from the first bracket’s $2,157 ceiling ⁠⁴. A one-person household gets a $160 or $155 base ($280.00 or $271.25 with electric heat) ⁠⁴.

Each household can get one Regular LIEAP, one Emergency Heating and one Emergency Cooling payment per season, plus any supplemental payment DoHS issues if extra funds arrive ⁠⁴.

LIEAP windows are short: FY 2026 lasted one week

Regular LIEAP is not open all winter. DoHS announces each intake period, and the program can close without notice when money runs out ⁠². In FY 2026, DoHS opened applications on February 2, 2026, planning to close February 20 ⁠⁵. It stopped on February 9 because Regular LIEAP funds were exhausted ⁠⁶. Emergency LIEAP then ran from June 8 to June 26, 2026, for heating or cooling emergencies ⁠⁷⁠⁸.

For FY 2027, the State Plan schedules heating assistance from November 2, 2026, with the regular season in November if funding is available. It also schedules winter crisis from January 1 to March 15, 2027, and summer crisis from June 1 to July 31, 2027, if funding allows ⁠³. As of October 20, 2026, DoHS had not announced an opening date. Last season’s recipients are mailed a review form to return by mail or on WV PATH ⁠⁴. Prior-year recipients with someone 60 or older, someone with a disability or a child 5 or under are sent advance notice of the dates ⁠³.

Emergency LIEAP: in person, with proof the heat is about to go

Emergency LIEAP is for a household that is without heat or cooling, or about to be, and has no money to fix it ⁠⁴. You must bring a past-due bill or termination notice for gas or electric service; an electronic notice is accepted. Bulk-fuel users must be out of fuel or nearly out ⁠⁴⁠². Workers also check that your income cannot cover it, and a utility payment plan in good standing means there is no emergency ⁠³⁠⁴. In the June 2026 window, anyone who had received a Regular LIEAP payment directly had to show a receipt proving it was spent on heat ⁠⁷.

Applications are taken only in person at a DoHS office. If you cannot travel, you can name an authorized representative, or DoHS can send a worker to your home ⁠³. Missing documents are due within five days ⁠⁴. DoHS must act to resolve an emergency within 48 hours of a completed application, or 18 hours if it is life-threatening. If heat cannot be restored within 18 hours and no shelter is available, the LIEAP Coordinator can approve a voucher for a night’s lodging ⁠⁴⁠³. Payment goes to the vendor only ⁠⁴. The amount is whatever ends the emergency, up to the household’s remaining room under the $2,000 cap.

Applying for Regular LIEAP through DoHS, step by step

1. Watch for the opening announcement

   DoHS posts the intake dates on the Bureau for Family Assistance site, and the window can close early ⁠²⁠⁶. Prior-year recipients receive a review form by mail ⁠⁴.

2. Choose how to file

   Apply online through WV PATH, mail the form to your county DoHS office, or apply in person at a DoHS office, Community Action Agency or senior center ⁠². Do not mail the form to your utility or fuel dealer; that delays the application ⁠².

3. Gather documents

   You need names, Social Security numbers and birth dates for everyone in the home, plus proof of income: pay stubs, award letters or employer statements ⁠². Include a recent heating bill showing the account number, or a bulk fuel receipt, and an electric bill if electricity is not your main heat ⁠². Bills DoHS verified in the last two months need not be resent ⁠⁴.

4. Answer requests quickly

   DoHS gives you 15 calendar days to return anything it asks for on a Regular application ⁠².

5. Read the decision letter

   DoHS must decide within 30 days of receiving the application or of the opening date, whichever is later. The letter states the amount and whether it went to your vendor or to you ⁠²⁠³.

6. Appeal if needed

   You can request a fair hearing within 60 days of the notice if you were denied, believe the amount is wrong, or your application was delayed. DoHS has 30 days to hold the hearing and act ⁠¹. While intake is open, you may also simply reapply ⁠². Questions go to the DoHS client services line, 1-800-642-8589 ⁠².

Furnace and air-conditioner Repair or Replace through Community Action

The LIHEAP Repair and Replace Program (RRP) is run by WVDED’s Community Advancement and Development division and delivered by Community Action Agencies in all 55 counties ⁠⁹. It uses the LIEAP income limits ⁠¹. The household must include a child 5 or under, a person 60 or older, or a person with a diagnosed disability ⁠⁹. The heating system must be broken, unsafe or missing. Households heating with space heaters, unvented gas heaters, an unsafe fireplace or a cooking stove also qualify ⁠⁹. RRP is for homeowners; renters are not eligible but can still apply for LIEAP ⁠³.

The State Plan caps RRP at $10,000 per household. It can also pay for electrical upgrades needed to install a new unit and for replacing propane tanks ⁠³. Heating repairs run December 1 to November 30. Cooling-only repairs run May 1 to September 30 and are not done in winter ⁠⁹⁠¹. Apply on myLITT or at your Community Action Agency ⁠⁹.

Weatherization: 200% of poverty and a 35-point waitlist

The West Virginia Weatherization Assistance Program is also run by WVDED and Community Action Agencies, using DOE funds plus 15% of the LIHEAP grant ⁠¹⁰⁠³. The income limit is 200% of the federal poverty guidelines ⁠¹⁰. The CAD page still shows the 2025 chart ($64,300 a year for four). The 2026 guidelines put 200% at $66,000 for four ⁠¹¹. Renters qualify with the owner’s written permission on a Weatherization Rental Release and Agreement form ⁠³.

Weatherization is not first come, first served. The WAPLink system scores each household: 10 points for spending $2,100 or more a year on energy, 10 points for spending 20% or more of income on energy, and 5 points each for a member 60 or older, a member with a disability, and a child under 18 ⁠³. Households with the most points, up to 35, are served first, with ties going to whoever has waited longest ⁠³. Measures include an audit, insulation, air sealing, heating and cooling repair or replacement, water heaters and LED lighting ⁠³. Apply on myLITT or with your county’s provider ⁠¹⁰.

The 20% winter discount for SSI, WV WORKS and older SNAP households

The Special Reduced Rate Service Program gives a 20% discount on gas and electric bills from November through March, and on West Virginia American Water bills all year ⁠¹. You qualify if you receive SSI and are 18 or older, receive WV WORKS, or receive SNAP and are 60 or older ⁠¹. State law requires PSC-regulated gas and electric companies to offer it, but excludes municipal and cooperative utilities ⁠¹². For privately owned water and sewer utilities, the discount is voluntary and capped at 20% ⁠¹³. DoHS mails applications each October. Call your county office if you believe you were missed ⁠¹.

For other help, see the West Virginia assistance hub or compare states on the energy and utility assistance page.