NC Energy Assistance: LIEAP, CIP, and Weatherization Help

NC energy assistance comes in two forms: the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP), which sends a one-time winter heating payment directly to your utility company, and the Crisis Intervention Program (CIP), which covers heating and cooling emergencies year-round. Both are administered through your county Department of Social Services office, and both use household income and residency as the main eligibility tests. LIEAP also applies an asset limit; CIP does not.

LIEAP: The Winter Heating Payment

LIEAP pays $300, $400, or $500 in a single lump sum sent straight to your heating provider.¹ You do not receive a check. The credit shows up on your utility account. The program covers heating only, not summer cooling.

Applications open on a priority schedule. Households that include someone aged 60 or older, or a person with a disability receiving services through the NC Division of Aging and Adult Services, can apply first. For the 2025–2026 cycle, that priority window opened December 10, 2025. Everyone else can apply starting January 2, 2026. All applications close March 31, 2026, or earlier if the money runs out.² Funds are limited, so applying as soon as your window opens matters.

CIP: Help During a Heating or Cooling Emergency

CIP is the program to use when the situation is already urgent. It covers both heating and cooling and accepts applications from July 1 through June 30 of each state fiscal year, as long as your county still has funds available.³

To qualify, your household must be facing a life-threatening or health-related energy emergency. That generally means a disconnect notice, an already-shut-off system, or a medical condition that makes loss of climate control dangerous.⁴ A caseworker will also check whether utility company hardship programs or community resources can cover the cost first. CIP steps in when other help is not available.

The maximum benefit is $600 per crisis and $600 total per household per state fiscal year.¹ If you receive $600 for a winter heating emergency, you cannot draw more CIP funds if you face a summer cooling emergency in the same fiscal year.

Income and Asset Limits

Both programs require your household to include at least one U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen and to live in the North Carolina county where you apply. You must also be responsible for paying the heating or cooling bill, or the energy cost must be included in your rent.² Fully subsidized housing where utilities are already covered by another federal program generally rules you out.

LIEAP: 130% of the Federal Poverty Level

LIEAP looks at total monthly gross household income before taxes. Based on the 2026 federal poverty guidelines, the monthly income limits are:⁵

1 person: $1,729
2 people: $2,344
3 people: $2,960
4 people: $3,575
5 people: $4,190
6 people: $4,806
7 people: $5,421
8 people: $6,036

Add roughly $615 per month for each additional household member beyond eight.

LIEAP also imposes an asset limit of $2,250. Countable assets include bank accounts, stocks, bonds, certificates of deposit, accessible retirement accounts, and property beyond your primary home.⁶ Your car and the home you live in generally do not count.

CIP: 150% of the Federal Poverty Level

CIP uses a higher income ceiling, so more households qualify.³ Based on the 2026 poverty guidelines, the approximate monthly income limits are:

1 person: $1,995
2 people: $2,705
3 people: $3,415
4 people: $4,125
5 people: $4,835
6 people: $5,545
7 people: $6,255
8 people: $6,965

CIP has no asset test.⁷ Savings that would disqualify you from LIEAP will not block a CIP application, as long as your income fits and the emergency is real.

What to Bring

Gather everything before you start. Missing paperwork is the most common reason applications stall.

Social Security numbers for household members who have them. CIP policy uses the phrase “when available,” so lacking a number for one member does not automatically disqualify you.³
A photo ID for the person applying.
Proof of income for every source: pay stubs, Social Security award letters, retirement statements, or employer verification.
A current heating or cooling bill. If it is not in your name, bring a written statement from the account holder confirming you pay the energy costs.
Names and birth dates for everyone in the household.
For LIEAP only: bank statements and any documentation of investments, accessible retirement accounts, or property beyond your home.

For CIP, add proof of the crisis itself. A disconnect notice, a past-due bill showing a shutoff warning, or documentation of a broken heating or cooling system all work. If someone in the household has a medical condition that makes the situation more urgent, a doctor’s statement can help, though it is not required.

How to Apply

The fastest way is online through ePASS at epass.nc.gov. You can submit either application, upload your documents, and receive a confirmation number without creating an account.⁸ Save that confirmation number. It is your proof of on-time filing if a dispute arises.

Paper applications are available at your county Department of Social Services office or as a download from the NCDHHS website.⁹ You can mail, fax, or drop off the completed packet. Most county offices have after-hours drop boxes. Fill every field. Missing income figures or incomplete household details will slow the review.

After You Apply

A county caseworker verifies your income, household composition, and (for CIP) the nature of the crisis. Approved LIEAP payments post as a credit on your utility account, not as a check to you. For CIP, the county may contact your utility directly to prevent a disconnection or arrange payment.

You will get a written decision at your home address. If your application is denied, the benefit seems wrong, or the county has taken an unreasonable amount of time to decide, you can appeal. State policy specifically allows challenges on all three grounds.¹⁰ Contact your county DSS office to request a hearing. A denial is not the last word, especially if your circumstances have changed or documentation was missed.

Weatherization and Heating System Repair

If the underlying problem is a drafty house or a failing furnace, two other programs can help beyond the utility bill itself.

The Weatherization Assistance Program, run by the NC Department of Environmental Quality, provides free home improvements including insulation, air sealing, efficient lighting, and heating and cooling system upgrades. It prioritizes elderly residents, people with disabilities, families with children, and households whose energy bills are unusually high relative to income.¹¹ Applications go through your local community action agency.

The Heating and Air Repair and Replacement Program (HARRP) fixes or replaces broken primary heating systems. Income limits are higher than LIEAP, set at 200% of the federal poverty level. Availability depends on local funding, so ask your county DSS office or community action agency whether HARRP is currently operating in your area.

1
LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Benefit Levels for Heating, Cooling, and Crisis
2
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Low Income Energy Assistance
3
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. 400 Crisis Intervention Programs Policy
4
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Crisis Intervention Program (Heating and Cooling)
5
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. 2026 Poverty Guidelines
6
NC Department of Administration. Low Income Energy Assistance Program
7
LIHEAP Clearinghouse. LIHEAP Heating Assistance Eligibility Assets Test
8
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. North Carolina ePASS
9
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. Energy Assistance
10
North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. EP-300 Low Income Energy Assistance Program Policy
11
NC Department of Environmental Quality. Weatherization Assistance Program