CAECI Community Action of East Central Indiana, Inc.

ENERGY ASSISTANCE PROGRAM

The Energy Assistance Program (EAP) helps families and individuals that meet the income guidelines (150% of Poverty) with the high cost of home heating during the winter months. The Energy Assistance Program provides households with a ONE-TIME winter benefit for their energy bills. It can only assist with a part of the households energy bills and not the entire heating costs. Each household needs to be responsible for their own energy costs and should pay as much as possible throughout the year. Assistance cannot be used for deposits or reconnection fees.  A past due bill or disconnection notice is not required to receive assistance.  Help is available for natural gas, propane, heating oil, kerosene, wood, and electricity. Households that have heat and/or electricity included in the rent may be eligible for assistance. The program usually runs from the first week of November through the end of May, or when funds have run out.

Crisis applicants, those households that have their utilities shut off, who will be shut off within 48 hours or who use bulk fuel and are out or about to be, do not need to make an appointment. In Wayne County, the first ten (10) Crisis applicants signed in before 10:00 am each morning will be seen while in Fayette County, the first five (5) before 10:00 am are seen. Those not in a Crisis situation should contact their respective County office to make an appointment. No EAP application can be started until all of the required information has been provided.

                        Contact us for Mail-in applications if you are elderly or disabled.

The amount of energy assistance that is received by each household is determined by a benefit matrix. This matrix assigns a numerical value to such things as poverty level, source of income, if there are elderly or disabled household members, or if there are children under 6 yrs. old in the household. Other factors include type of dwelling and type of heating fuel used. Using all of the above, each household’s benefit could vary significantly.

 Air conditioners or electric credits may be provided to qualifying households in the summer. The Summer Fill program also operates during this time period. With the Summer Fill program, applicants receive home heating fuel based on their regular winter EAP application and matrix. Only those persons who did not apply during the winter program need to complete a full application. These two programs usually runs from the first of June through the end of September.