Last updated: July 16, 2026
Bottom line
Montana utility help is split among several programs. The Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) pays part of eligible winter heating costs. Year-round emergency LIHEAP may help with a qualifying heating crisis. Energy Share of Montana may help when other programs do not cover an energy emergency. Utility companies, local Human Resource Development Councils (HRDCs), Tribal offices, cities, and charities may offer other help.
As of July 16, 2026, Montana’s regular 2025-26 LIHEAP heating window is closed. It ended April 30, 2026. Weatherization and qualifying emergency assistance may still be available. Contact the office serving your county or reservation instead of waiting for the next heating season.
Start with the official Montana energy page, then call your utility before a shutoff. The ASMOM LIHEAP help guide explains the national program, while the Montana help page lists other state support.
If shutoff or loss of heat is close
Call the utility or fuel vendor today. Ask for a payment arrangement, an extension, a temporary hold, budget billing, and the exact amount needed to stop disconnection or restore service. Tell the company if a household member receives public assistance, is age 62 or older, has a disability, or has an urgent medical need. These facts do not guarantee a hold, but they can affect the rules or options.
- NorthWestern Energy: Its payment assistance page lists 888-467-2669 for Montana customers.
- Montana-Dakota Utilities: Its low-income help page lists 800-638-3278.
- Local help: Dial 2-1-1. Montana 211 is free, anonymous, and available all day, every day.
- Regulated utility dispute: Call the Montana Public Service Commission (PSC) at 800-646-6150 after trying to resolve the problem with the utility. The PSC assistance form explains its limits.
If the bill is part of a larger crisis, use the ASMOM Montana emergency guide while applications are pending.
Where to start
Heat is off
Call the local LIHEAP office and say you need an emergency review. Also call the utility or fuel vendor and ask what can restore safe heat.
Shutoff is scheduled
Call the provider before the date on the notice. Ask whether it can hold the account while LIHEAP, Energy Share, or another pledge is reviewed.
The regular window closed
Ask about year-round emergency help, Weatherization, Energy Share, a payment plan, and local funds. Do not assume every program closed April 30.
Water or phone is behind
Contact the provider and 211. Water aid is mostly local. Lifeline may lower an eligible household’s phone or internet bill.
Keep a photo of every bill and notice. Save names, dates, confirmation numbers, and promised payment amounts. The ASMOM documents checklist can help you organize the file.
Quick reference
| Problem | Best first step | What may help | Reality check |
|---|---|---|---|
| Winter heating costs | Local or Tribal LIHEAP office | Payment toward the primary heat source | Regular applications normally run October 1 through April 30. |
| No heat or unsafe furnace | Emergency LIHEAP office | Fuel, temporary heat, or qualifying repair | The crisis must meet state rules and the household must qualify. |
| Energy bill emergency | Local HRDC | Energy Share or another local fund | Local committees review need and available money. |
| Regulated utility dispute | Utility, then PSC | Consumer assistance with the dispute | PSC does not regulate every provider. |
| Phone or internet cost | Lifeline | Monthly service discount | Only one Lifeline discount is allowed per household. |
Montana LIHEAP status and eligibility
Montana LIHEAP helps eligible renters and homeowners with part of the cost of their primary winter heat. The payment normally goes to the utility or fuel vendor. It is not a promise to pay the full balance, and it does not cover every household bill.
The regular heating season runs from October 1 through April 30. The 2025-26 application says regular heat applications were not accepted after April 30, 2026. Ask the local office when the 2026-27 form will be ready. Do not reuse an old form without checking.
The limits below are the state’s posted 2025-26 LIHEAP and emergency-fund figures. They remain useful for current emergency screening, but new limits may be posted before the next regular season.
| Household size | Annual income limit | Resource limit |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $33,719 | $14,358 |
| 2 | $44,095 | $21,966 |
| 3 | $54,470 | $23,431 |
| 4 | $64,846 | $24,896 |
| 5 | $75,221 | $26,360 |
| 6 | $85,596 | $27,825 |
For households of one through eight people, Montana uses 60% of state median income. Households receiving SNAP, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or TANF may be categorically eligible, but they still need to apply and provide the records the office requests. The benefit amount depends on income, household size, fuel, housing type, region, and heating costs.
Food and cash benefits have different rules. Check the ASMOM Montana SNAP guide and Montana TANF guide if those costs are pushing the utility bill behind.
Emergency LIHEAP is available year-round
Montana’s current LIHEAP policy says emergency assistance is available from October 1 through September 30. It is only for a qualifying situation that creates an immediate threat to household health or safety. Examples can include no safe heat, fuel running out, or a dangerous primary heating system.
If the household is eligible and the case meets the emergency definition, the local office must address a life-threatening crisis within 18 hours and another qualifying energy emergency within 48 hours. “Address” can mean temporary or other assistance. It does not promise that the program will pay the full bill or finish a major repair in that time.
Call the local office and use the words “emergency LIHEAP review.” Explain the heat source, indoor conditions, fuel level, shutoff date, children in the home, and any disability or health risk. Do not use an unsafe stove, grill, or unvented device for heat.
How to apply and find the right office
Montana uses local eligibility offices and Tribal LIHEAP offices. Use the state local office list to find the agency serving your county. Eligible Native American households living on most reservations should contact the Tribal office list. The Crow Reservation is served through District VII HRDC under the state instructions.
- Call first. Ask whether you need regular LIHEAP, emergency LIHEAP, Weatherization, or more than one application.
- Use the current form. Ask whether a 2026-27 form has been released before the next heating season.
- Send all proof. The current application says missing verifications can delay the decision or cause denial.
- Tell the utility. Give the provider the agency name and ask whether it will note that help is pending.
- Keep copies. Save the full application, bills, notices, upload or mailing proof, and every letter.
If the county office is hard to reach, use the ASMOM Community Action guide to find nearby support.
Montana shutoff rules and utility help
Montana’s winter rules are not a full shutoff ban. From November 1 through April 1, a PSC-regulated gas, underground-propane, or electric utility must get PSC approval before a nonpayment disconnection.
The PSC’s winter rule guide says it will not approve the winter disconnection when the account holder is at or below the federal poverty guideline, receives public assistance, or when a household member is age 62 or older or has a disability. The customer must tell the utility and may need to provide proof.
Having children in the home does not by itself stop a winter shutoff. A medical need also does not always create a permanent protection. Call the provider, submit proof quickly, and ask the PSC what rule applies.
The PSC does not cover everyone
The PSC does not regulate rural electric or telephone cooperatives, cellular service, internet service, cable television, municipally owned utilities, or propane vendors. Those providers use their own policies. Ask for the policy in writing and call 211 for local backup aid.
Weatherization, furnaces, and lower bills
The Weatherization Assistance Program is not a quick bill payment. It may lower future energy use through an assessment and approved work such as air sealing, insulation, safety testing, or heating-system improvements. Work depends on the home, program findings, and available funds.
Montana accepts Weatherization applications throughout the year. Renters may apply, but some work can require landlord permission. Ask the local LIHEAP office to screen you for both Weatherization and emergency furnace help.
If heating costs are part of a housing problem, the ASMOM Montana housing guide may help with rent, shelter, or local housing contacts. The Montana health guide may help when medical costs are taking money needed for utilities.
Water, phone, and internet help
Water and sewer bills
Water help is mostly local. Call the city, water district, landlord, or provider and ask about payment plans, hardship review, leak adjustments, and local charity pledges. Dial 2-1-1 if the provider has no assistance program.
Missoula is one local example. Its utility assistance page says customers enrolled in a low-income program through the Human Resource Council may qualify for a water discount. Other Montana communities use different rules or may have no discount.
Phone and internet
Federal Lifeline can provide up to $9.25 a month toward phone, internet, or bundled service. The enhanced benefit can be up to $34.25 for people on qualifying Tribal lands. Only one Lifeline discount is allowed per household.
The Affordable Connectivity Program is not open. The FCC ACP page says monthly discounts ended June 1, 2024 because Congress did not provide more funding. Be careful with websites that claim they can enroll you in ACP now.
The ASMOM phone and internet guide explains Lifeline applications, documents, and service-company steps.
Documents to gather
The local office may ask for more or different proof. Apply or call even when one item is missing, then ask what other record it can accept.
| What may be needed | Examples | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Identity | Photo ID or another accepted record | Shows who is applying. |
| Household members | Names, birth dates, Social Security information when required | Sets household size and eligibility. |
| Income | Pay stubs, benefit letters, child support, or no-income statement | Used for the financial test. |
| Resources | Bank records and other requested asset proof | Montana uses a resource limit. |
| Energy account | Full bill, account number, fuel vendor, shutoff or reconnect notice | Shows the cost and emergency. |
| Housing | Lease, rent receipt, or landlord statement | Shows where you live and who pays heat. |
| Health or disability | Provider form requested by the utility or office | May support an emergency or winter-rule claim. |
Common mistakes to avoid
- Waiting for shutoff day. Call the provider and assistance office as soon as the notice arrives.
- Using last season’s form. Ask for the current application and limits.
- Assuming regular LIHEAP is open. The 2025-26 heating window closed April 30, but emergency and Weatherization help may still be available.
- Mailing Energy Share to Helena. Applications go to the local HRDC.
- Assuming winter means no shutoff. The rules are limited and cover regulated providers.
- Paying a grant fee. Do not pay someone to “unlock” LIHEAP or a guaranteed utility grant.
If help is denied, delayed, or too low
Ask for the reason in writing. Check whether the office is missing a signature, income proof, resource record, utility account, or heating information. Ask whether the record can be corrected without starting over.
Montana’s current LIHEAP manual allows up to 90 days to ask for a fair hearing. The local office must help a person prepare the request when help is needed. Follow the deadline and mailing instructions on your own notice.
If the problem is a bill or shutoff from a regulated provider, contact the company first. If it does not resolve the issue, ask the PSC for consumer assistance. For legal information, use MontanaLawHelp shutoffs. The ASMOM Montana legal guide lists other legal-aid paths.
The ASMOM benefits problem guide can help you track notices, calls, proof, and hearing deadlines. This article is general information and not legal advice.
Backup options while you wait
- Ask for several pledges: A utility may accept LIHEAP, Energy Share, charity aid, and your payment together.
- Call 211 again: Local church, Salvation Army, county, Tribal, and nonprofit funds can open or close during the year.
- Lower other costs: The ASMOM Montana WIC guide may help pregnant mothers and families with children under 5.
- Plan transportation: Use the Montana transportation guide if travel to an HRDC or utility office is difficult.
- Protect the agreement: Ask for payment-plan terms in writing and do not promise an amount you cannot pay.
Phone scripts
Call the utility
“I received a shutoff notice for [date]. I can pay $____. I am contacting LIHEAP and Energy Share. What payment plan, extension, hardship option, or temporary hold can you offer?”
Call the LIHEAP office
“The regular heating window has closed, but I have [no heat, low fuel, a shutoff, or an unsafe furnace]. Can you screen me for year-round emergency LIHEAP and Weatherization?”
Call Energy Share
“I have an energy emergency and need the application for my county. What proof does the local committee need, and where should I return the form?”
Call the PSC
“I already contacted my utility about [billing or shutoff issue], but it is not resolved. Is this provider regulated by the PSC, and can Consumer Assistance review the dispute?”
Resumen en español
Montana LIHEAP ayuda a algunos hogares con parte del costo de la calefacción. La temporada regular 2025-26 terminó el 30 de abril de 2026. Sin embargo, la ayuda de emergencia para una crisis de calefacción y el programa de Weatherization pueden estar disponibles durante todo el año.
Llame primero a la compañía de servicios. Pregunte por un plan de pago, una extensión o una pausa mientras solicita ayuda. Después, contacte la oficina local de LIHEAP, la oficina Tribal o el HRDC de su condado. Para recursos locales, marque 2-1-1.
Energy Share puede ayudar en algunas emergencias, pero no garantiza el pago. Las solicitudes se entregan al HRDC local, no a la oficina estatal en Helena. Para teléfono o internet, Lifeline puede dar un descuento mensual a hogares elegibles.
Guarde copias de la cuenta, aviso de corte, ingresos, solicitud y nombres de las personas con quienes habló. Si le niegan LIHEAP, pida la razón por escrito y las instrucciones para una audiencia.
FAQs
Is Montana LIHEAP open now?
The regular 2025-26 heating application window closed April 30, 2026. Weatherization and qualifying emergency LIHEAP may still be available. Ask the local office when 2026-27 regular applications will begin.
Can emergency LIHEAP help in summer?
Yes, Montana’s current policy makes emergency assistance available year-round for eligible households facing a qualifying primary-heating crisis that threatens health or safety.
Can LIHEAP pay the whole bill?
Not usually. LIHEAP pays part of eligible winter heating costs. The amount depends on household facts and program rules. Ask the utility about a plan for any balance left.
Can renters apply for LIHEAP?
Yes. Renters and homeowners may apply. A renter may need to show responsibility for heating costs or explain how heat is included in rent.
Does Montana stop all winter shutoffs?
No. Regulated utilities need PSC approval for many nonpayment shutoffs from November 1 through April 1, but the rule is not a total ban and does not cover every provider.
Can Energy Share help after LIHEAP?
It may. Energy Share reviews the emergency, household circumstances, other help, and available funds. Apply through the HRDC serving your county.
How long do I have to appeal LIHEAP?
Montana’s current LIHEAP policy allows no more than 90 days to request a fair hearing. Use the deadline and instructions on your notice and act as soon as possible.
Last updated: July 16, 2026 | Next review: October 16, 2026
About this guide
This guide uses official federal, state, local, and other high-trust nonprofit and community sources mentioned in the article.
A Single Mother is independent and is not a government agency, benefits office, lender, law firm, medical provider, or tax advisor.
Program rules, funding, local availability, and eligibility can change. Always confirm details with the official program before you apply or make decisions.
Verification: Last verified July 16, 2026, next review October 16, 2026.
Corrections: If you see something wrong or outdated, email suggestions@asinglemother.org.
Disclaimer: This article is for general information only. It is not legal, financial, medical, tax, immigration, disability, safety, or government-agency advice.