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Energy Assistance funding is available for thousands more Minnesotans to apply

The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission and the Minnesota Department of Commerce urge income-eligible Minnesotans to apply for Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program before Cold Weather Rule protections end April 30 to avoid having their utilities disconnected.

“The cold weather this spring is a reminder that Minnesotans, both homeowners and renters, need reliable energy to keep their homes warm and the lights on,” said Katie Sieben, chairwoman of the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission (PUC).

“The Energy Assistance Program makes energy affordable for the many Minnesotans who are struggling to pay their utility bills after a long, cold winter,” said Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold.  “Funds are still available for thousands more Minnesotans, so if you — or someone you know — needs an energy grant so your utility company does not disconnect your power and lights, apply now so you can keep those critical services for your home.”

Minnesota’s Cold Weather Rule (CWR), which is administered by the PUC, protects residential utility customers from having electric or natural gas service shut off between Oct. 1 and April 30.  Under the CWR, a homeowner or renter can set up an income-based payment plan with their utility company (the utility account must be under the applicant’s name) and would then be protected from shut off. However, once the CWR season ends April 30, Minnesota residents with past-due utility bills can be disconnected from heat and power by their utility company.

The Minnesota Legislature in 2021 extended the effective dates for CWR by 15 days in the fall and 15 days in the spring, so the CWR season begins Oct. 1 and ends April 30.  All natural gas and electric utilities in Minnesota must offer CWR protection, but the law does not apply to delivered fuels such as propane, heating oil and wood. However, propane dealers must offer a budget billing plan.

The Energy Assistance Program helps both renters and homeowners to pay for current and past-due bills for electricity, gas, oil, biofuel and propane, emergency fuel delivery, and repair/replacement of homeowners’ broken heating systems. The program also helps pay past-due water and sewer bills.

The Energy Assistance Program Dashboard published by Commerce and updated weekly shows over $131 million has already been paid to more than 103,800 Minnesota households since October 2021.  Households have until May 31, 2022, to apply for the Energy Assistance Program this year.

Steps to avoid utility shut-offs

• Contact your utility company, if you haven’t already, to request protection under the Cold Weather Rule. You can get help to work with your utility company by contacting the PUC’s Consumer Affairs Office:  651-296-0406  puc@state.mn.us.
• Apply for Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program: Call 800-657-3710 press 1 or go online  mn.gov/energyassistance.

Commerce has increased income eligibility, so more Minnesotans qualify than ever before. About one in four Minnesota households are now eligible for energy assistance.

Commerce has also raised the Energy Assistance Program crisis benefit per household. Income-qualified homeowners or renters can now receive up to $3,000 to pay past-due energy bills, to prevent energy disconnections, and to cover costs for emergency fuel deliveries.

The crisis benefits are especially important for households heated by propane or heating oils, who have seen their heating costs increase on average from $1,500 to $2,500 per household. Minnesotans who use propane or heating oils can apply for the Energy Assistance Program to refill their tanks.

With one application to the Energy Assistance Program, households may also qualify for water bill assistance and for the Weatherization Assistance Program, which can permanently reduce household energy costs.  Commerce is asking the Minnesota Legislature to fund up to 15,000 more Minnesotans for the Weatherization Assistance Program, to reduce energy costs long-term for those homes and reduce the state’s overall energy infrastructure needs.