We're Building A Better Tri-State Together
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Applications open for Hoosiers in need of help with utility bills

The side of an Indiana state government building in downtown Indianapolis. The tall, light brown building has a bank of windows. Above that are the words "Indiana A State that Works" adorning the top of the building. In between those words is a logo - a white outline of the state in a blue gear wheel, set against a white circular background.
FILE PHOTO: Justin Hicks
/
IPB News
Hoosiers who want to apply for the Water and Energy Assistance Programs can do so online on the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority's website.

Hoosiers struggling to pay their water and energy bills can now apply for help from the state.

Applications are open for the Water and Energy Assistance Programs.

The programs have income limits, based on the state’s median income. For a two-person household to be eligible, it’s $36,390 or less a year. For a household of four, it’s $53,515 a year.

Hoosiers can apply online on the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s website. They can also contact what’s called their Local Service Provider, LSP. Those community organizations administer the assistance programs and cover all 92 counties. A map directing people to their local provider is also available on the state agency website. You can also call 211 to find your LSP.

Join the conversation and sign up for the Indiana Two-Way. Text "Indiana" to 73224. Your comments and questions in response to our weekly text help us find the answers you need on statewide issues.

The application period is open through May 23, 2023.

If your utility has already disconnected you – or if you’ve received a disconnection notice – contact your local service provider immediately. You might be eligible for what’s called a “crisis benefit,” which can deliver help more quickly.

The state manages the Energy and Water Assistance Programs. The funding comes from the federal government.

Contact reporter Brandon at bsmith@ipbs.org or follow him on Twitter at @brandonjsmith5.

Brandon Smith has covered the Statehouse for Indiana Public Broadcasting for more than a decade, spanning three governors and a dozen legislative sessions. He's also the host of Indiana Week in Review, a weekly political and policy discussion program seen and heard across the state. He previously worked at KBIA in Columbia, Missouri and WSPY in Plano, Illinois. His first job in radio was in another state capitol - Jefferson City, Missouri - as a reporter for three stations around the Show-Me State.