Spire assists customers as LIHEAP income cap and benefits double

The natural gas utility is helping sign up customers on limited incomes for LIHEAP energy assistance through May

ST. LOUIS (Dec. 1, 2021) — Spire is partnering with community action agencies across Missouri to help customers sign up for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a federally funded program that assists vulnerable customers with their immediate energy needs. This year, the LIHEAP income cap and benefit amount have doubled allowing more people to receive more assistance. The program is open to all households beginning Dec. 1. and goes through May. 

The energy provider is hosting in-person sessions and interactive webinars to help guide customers through the application process. The next webinar is Thursday, Dec. 2 at 11 a.m. 

“It’s critical that households with limited incomes know that help is available, so they don’t have to go without heat during the winter,” said Connie Sanchez, Spire community outreach specialist. “LIHEAP helps many of our senior and disabled households living on fixed incomes.  LIHEAP can now assist more working households with limited incomes because more people can qualify for LIHEAP.”

According to the National Energy & Utility Affordability Coalition, in 2020, nearly 700,000 households in Missouri qualified for LIHEAP, 200,000 more households than in 2019. However, only 16% of those who qualified received help in 2020, a little more than 100,000 families.

For years, Spire’s community support team has conducted hundreds of LIHEAP outreach events with organizations such as the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis and the Community Action Agency of St. Louis County (CAASTLC) to increase awareness around LIHEAP and help individuals navigate the application process.  

To register for a webinar, visit SpireEnergy.com/Community-events. The remaining webinar schedule is: 

• Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m.
• Wednesday, Dec. 8, 2021, 1- 2 p.m.
• Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2021, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
• Tuesday, Jan. 6, 2022, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
• Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2022, 1 – 2 p.m. 
• Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022, 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. 
• Thursday, Jan. 27, 2022, 1 – 2 p.m. 

“CAASTLC is appreciative of the relationship that we have with Spire and their staff,” said Georgie Donahue, CAASTLC program administration director. “In addition to helping us register people for LIHEAP, Spire provides us funds through their Dollar Help program to assist those whose bills are higher than we can pay with LIHEAP funds. Their Red Tag program can also be leveraged with LIHEAP to provide furnace repairs to eligible families without a working furnace. Our partnership with Spire is critical to helping assist low-income families with reducing their energy bills.”  

To learn more about LIHEAP and other Spire-sponsored energy assistance programs, visit SpireEnergy.com/Assistance.