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Home   /   Constituent Services   /   Utility Assistance
Utility Assistance

TIPS ON UTILITY ASSISTANCE PROGRAMS
(Revised 10/15/10)

WINTER RECONNECT ORDER  Any household with a private electric and/or natural gas disconnection between October 18, 2010 and April 15, 2011 is eligible for reconnection by paying a maximum of $175 toward their outstanding balance and a maximum reconnection fee of $36.  A payment plan must be setup with the utility.

HEAP  The Home Energy Assistance Program is a federally-funded, state administered program which applies a one-time per winter heating credit to household utility bills between November 1st and March 31st.  To qualify for HEAP, household income must be at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL).  These levels can be found on the Ohio “Energy Assistance Program Application.” Applications can be obtained online at http://energyhelp.ohio.gov or by calling the Ohio Department of Development at 1-800-282-0880.  To receive help in completing an application, call 216-518-4014 to schedule an appointment or 216-774-2354 for a home visit if homebound or handicapped.  

E-HEAP / WCP  Emergency HEAP (a.k.a. Winter Crisis Program) is a special part of HEAP for households with a disconnection or disconnection notice between November 1st and March 31st.  The eligibility is otherwise the same as HEAP.  To apply, call the 24-hour line at 216-518-4014 to schedule an appointment at one of the participating agencies or 216-774-2354 for a home visit if homebound or handicapped.  Scheduling the appointment will immediately stop the disconnection process until five days after your appointment date.  If you qualify for the program but cannot afford the maximum $175 payment towards your bill and the maximum $36 reconnection fee, ask about assistance at your appointment.

The following local agencies accept “walk-in” visits (without appointment) daily at 8:30 AM:

CEOGC (50 person limit)
(216-696-9077)
1228 Euclid Ave, Ste 700, Cleveland        

Cleveland Housing Network (50 person limit Nov. 1st-5th ONLY)  
(216-574-7100)
2999 Payne Ave, Cleveland

Merrick House (10 person limit)
(216-281-4212)
3167 Fulton Ave, Cleveland

Bellaire Puritas Development Corporation (10 person limit)
(216-671-2710)
14703 Puritas Ave, Cleveland

Slavic Village Development (10 person limit)
(216-429-1182)
5620 Broadway Ave, Cleveland

PIPP Plus  The Percentage of Income Payment Plan Plus establishes a monthly payment amount for electric and/or natural gas utilities which is no more than 12% of a household’s monthly income.  If natural gas is the primary heating source, natural gas and electric bills are fixed at 6% of household monthly income for each.  If electric is the heating source, the bill is fixed at 10% of household monthly income.  

To qualify for PIPP Plus, household income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.  These levels can be found on the Ohio “Energy Assistance Program Application.”  In addition, the household must have service through a private utility company for heating.  The HEAP application also serves as the PIPP Plus application.  The PIPP Plus application is an optional part of the HEAP application and a mandatory part of the E-HEAP application.  

Arrearages owed to the utility company will be cancelled after 24 months of making PIPP Plus monthly payments in a timely manner.  If the household becomes ineligible for PIPP Plus based on increased income or otherwise wishes to discontinue participation in PIPP Plus, the arrearages which accumulated while making PIPP Plus payments will be cancelled after 12 months by making transition, budget, or regular payment amounts to the same utility company (80% cancelled if switched service to a different utility company) in a timely manner.  

PIPP Plus payments may exceed regular monthly utility payments.  If you pay less than a yearly average of 10-12% of household income to natural gas and electric each month, you will pay more by enrolling into PIPP Plus.  

SCP  The Summer Crisis Program is another special part of HEAP which provides a one-time payment of up to $175 for HEAP-eligible households between June 1st and August 31st.  The eligibility is the same as HEAP, except at least one household member must either be over the age of 60 or have a medical necessity for assistance documented by a physician.  In addition, the payment must result in either service continuation for at least 30 days or the purchase of a fan or air conditioning unit.  Only one purchase under the program in a three-year period is permitted.  The application process is the same as E-HEAP / WCP.

WATER DISCOUNT The Cleveland Division of Water offers two assistance programs—the Homestead Program and the Water Affordability Program.  The Homestead program provides a reduced bill for homeowners age 65 or older with a household income of under $29,500 per year.  Applications can be obtained by calling 216-664-3130 and are also online at www.clevelandwater.com/Resident/discountprograms.aspx  The Water Affordability Program, administered by Cleveland Housing Network provides, a 20% discount to homeowners with income below 175% of the Federal Poverty Level.  Applications can be obtained by calling 216-774-2396.  Households can only utilize one of the two discount programs at a time. 

OTHER UTILITY ASSISTANCE RESOURCES  In addition to these programs, the following organizations and those listed above under E-HEAP may have utility assistance available:

 
Catholic Charities Health and Human Services 
7911 Detroit Ave,  Cleveland
Phone: 216-334-2907 

Consumer Protection Association
3030 Euclid Ave, Cleveland
Phone: 216-881-3434

Cuyahoga County Family and Children First Council
1801 St. Clair Ave, Cleveland
Phone: 216-698-2875

Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission
1849 Prospect Ave, Ground Floor, Cleveland
Phone: 216-698-2600

Cuyahoga County Employment and Family Services
Various Neighborhood Family Service Center Locations Phone: 216-987-7000

Cuyahoga County Senior and Adult Services
1701 E 12th St, Cleveland
Phone: 216-420-6750

Lakewood Christian Service Center
14230 Madison Ave, Lakewood
Phone: 216-226-6466

United Way of Greater Cleveland
1331 Euclid Ave, Cleveland
Phone: 216-436-2000 or dial 211

The Salvation Army of Greater Cleveland
2507 E 22nd St, Cleveland
Phone: 216-623-7438

The Spanish American Committee
4407 Lorain Ave, Cleveland
Phone: 216-961-2100

As always, if you have any questions or need assistance, please call 216-228-8850.

The following resources may also be helpful to you.



 


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