If you’re behind on your power bill in North Carolina or staring at a disconnection notice, the state’s main emergency utility assistance program is the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP), which pays up to $600 directly to your utility company year-round. A second program, the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), makes a one-time seasonal payment toward heating costs each winter. Both are income-based. If you don’t qualify or have already used your benefit, Duke Energy and Dominion Energy run their own funds, and state disconnection rules give some households extra time during cold months.
Crisis Intervention Program for Shutoffs and No-Heat Emergencies
CIP is the program to reach for when the situation is urgent. It runs year-round and covers both heating and cooling crises. You qualify as being “in crisis” if your home currently has no working heat or air conditioning, or if you’ve received a disconnection notice for your primary heating or cooling service and a household member would face a health risk without it.1North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling) Each situation is evaluated individually.
The maximum benefit is $600 per crisis, and $600 total per state fiscal year.2Craven County. Energy Programs Use the full amount on a winter heating crisis and you won’t have anything left if a summer cooling emergency hits. Payment goes to your utility, not to you. Applications can sometimes be completed the same day, though verification can push it out to four days.3Harnett County Department of Social Services. Energy Assistance
Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP)
LIEAP is the seasonal counterpart to CIP. It provides a single annual payment toward your heating bill, sent directly to your heating vendor, whether that’s an electric company, gas provider, or propane dealer.4North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Low Income Energy Assistance
The application window opens in stages. Households with someone aged 60 or older, or a disabled person receiving services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, can apply starting December 1. Everyone else can apply from January 1 through March 31, or until funds run out.4North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Low Income Energy Assistance Funds do run out, often well before March. Apply on the first day you’re eligible.
Benefit amounts vary by household size, income, and energy costs, with the largest payments going to households with the lowest incomes and highest energy burdens.
Duke Energy and Dominion Energy Assistance Funds
If CIP and LIEAP aren’t options, the utilities themselves run programs.
Duke Energy’s Share the Light Fund operates in North Carolina and South Carolina, funded by donations from employees, customers, and the Duke Energy Foundation. You need to be a Duke Energy Carolinas or Duke Energy Progress residential customer with a past-due balance, unpaid deposit, or unpaid reconnection charge. Local community action agencies handle the money. Call the NC CARELINE at 800-662-7030 to find the agency serving your county.5Duke Energy. Where People Can Turn When They Need Help Paying Utility Bills
Dominion Energy’s EnergyShare runs from October 1 through May 31 and provides up to $600 toward any heating source, including electricity, natural gas, propane, kerosene, oil, or wood. There are no income restrictions. You do need to show financial hardship and have a disconnection notice, need service restored, or need help setting up a payment plan.6Dominion Energy. EnergyShare – North Carolina The no-income-ceiling piece is worth noting: if you earn too much for CIP or LIEAP but hit a hard month, EnergyShare may still be open to you. Call 2-1-1 or visit nc211.org to find your local EnergyShare agency.
Income Limits and Other Eligibility Rules
CIP and LIEAP both require household income at or below 150% of the federal poverty level. For 2026, the monthly limits include:
- 1 person: $1,646
- 2 people: $2,229
- 3 people: $2,813
- 4 people: $4,125
- 5 people: $4,708
For each additional household member beyond five, add roughly $583 per month.7HHS ASPE. 2026 Poverty Guidelines: 48 Contiguous States Income counts wages, Social Security, child support, pensions, and other regular payments received the month before you apply.
Meeting income alone doesn’t guarantee CIP help. The program also weighs whether a household member faces an actual health risk from the loss of heating or cooling.1North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling) A household that includes someone reliant on electric medical equipment is generally treated as higher priority than one that’s uncomfortable but not in danger.
You must verify citizenship or eligible non-citizen status. Non-citizens who hold green cards, refugee or asylee status, or who have been paroled into the U.S. for at least one year are eligible.8Administration for Children and Families. Changes to LIHEAP Eligibility for Citizens of Countries Governed by the Compacts of Free Association
There is no asset test. Owning a car or holding money in a savings account will not disqualify you.9LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Eligibility Assistance: Assets Test for States and Territories
Documents to Have Ready
Gather these before you start:
- Social Security numbers for household members, when available. The program asks for them but does not treat their absence as an absolute barrier.1North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling)
- Proof of income for the month before you apply: pay stubs, Social Security award letters, pension statements, or child support records.
- A current utility bill or disconnection notice. For CIP, a final notice or past-due bill showing the crisis is required.1North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling)
- Citizenship or immigration documentation: birth certificate, passport, or immigration papers.
- Proof of NC residency: driver’s license, lease, or mail showing your current address.
Make sure your stated household size matches the Social Security numbers and income documents you provide. Mismatches trigger clarification requests, which slow down an emergency application.
How to Apply
You have three routes:
- In person at your county Department of Social Services office. Staff can review documents on the spot, and CIP can sometimes be completed the same day.
- Online through the NC ePASS portal at epass.nc.gov. You can apply for energy assistance without creating an account, though an account lets you report changes and track your case.10North Carolina ePASS. NCDHHS – ePASS
- By mail to your county DSS. Slower, and not the right choice when service is about to be cut off.
With an active disconnection notice, go in person. A four-day process can collapse to a same-day resolution when a caseworker verifies everything face to face.3Harnett County Department of Social Services. Energy Assistance
North Carolina Disconnection Protections
North Carolina does not ban utility disconnections outright during extreme weather, but several rules buy time.
Before shutting off service, a utility must give at least 10 days’ written notice. Disconnections cannot happen on Fridays, weekends, holidays, or the day before a holiday, so you won’t lose power heading into a stretch when offices are closed.
From November through March, utilities generally cannot disconnect households that include someone disabled or aged 65 or older, cannot pay under an installment plan, or have been certified by a local social services agency as eligible for energy assistance. The protection only works if the utility knows about your situation, so contact both the company and your county DSS.
If someone in your home relies on electricity for medical equipment such as an oxygen concentrator or refrigerated medication, ask your utility about a medical certificate. Under NC Utilities Commission rules, physician certification can delay disconnection. Utilities are required to keep a list of customers with special medical needs. Getting on that list before a crisis is a smart preventive step.
If Your Application Is Denied
A denial isn’t the end. Under federal LIHEAP rules, you have the right to a fair hearing if your application is denied or if you don’t get a decision in a reasonable time.11Administration for Children and Families. LIHEAP FAQs for Consumers Contact your county DSS to request one. Common denial reasons are missing documentation or income just above the threshold, and both can sometimes be fixed on a second attempt if circumstances change.
Outside the government programs, call 2-1-1 or visit nc211.org to reach the United Way’s referral line, which connects you with local nonprofits, churches, and community organizations offering emergency bill help. The Salvation Army, Community Action Agencies, and religious organizations often maintain small emergency funds without the same eligibility rules as federal programs. Supplies are limited and first-come-first-served, but they fill real gaps.
Weatherization for the Long Term
Emergency payments handle this month. If your home leaks heat, you’ll be back in the same spot next season. North Carolina’s Weatherization Assistance Program, run through the NC Department of Environmental Quality, provides free energy-efficiency upgrades to income-eligible households, including insulation, air sealing, efficient lighting, heating and cooling system repairs or replacement, and health and safety fixes.12NC DEQ. Weatherization Assistance Program Priority goes to elderly and disabled residents, families with children, high energy users, and households whose energy costs consume a large share of monthly income. Use the “Find Your Agency” tool on the NC DEQ site to locate your local provider and apply through them.