Utility Assistance for Single Mothers in Ohio

Where to start

Start with the bill, the utility type, and the shutoff date. A single family can seek more than one type of help if each program allows it. For an urgent electric or gas shutoff, ask about the reconnect order before waiting on a regular HEAP review.

A large energy bill can also affect rent, travel, and care for children. The Ohio housing guide, Ohio transportation guide, and Ohio child care guide show other real help paths.

Quick reference for Ohio utility help

Ohio energy programs that may help

The ODJFS energy hub lists the state programs. Renters and homeowners can apply, and some people whose heat is included in rent may qualify under special rules. Your energy source, account holder, income, and documents affect the outcome. A Community Action or energy assistance provider can help you sort out the right program.

Home Energy Assistance Program

Regular HEAP gives a once-per-heating-season credit to the main heat or bulk-fuel account. The 2026–27 application period is July 1, 2026 through May 31, 2027. Ohio’s consumer advocate says HEAP credits begin appearing on accounts in January of the heating season, but timing depends on the case. This is not emergency cash sent to the parent.

HEAP may help with natural gas or electric service, propane, fuel oil, coal, wood, or pellets when those sources meet the rules. The benefit varies by household size, income, heating source, region, age or disability factors, and available federal funds. HEAP does not guarantee payment of the whole overdue balance.

PIPP Plus

PIPP Plus is a year-round plan for income-eligible customers of participating PUCO-regulated electric and natural-gas utilities. Gas-heated households generally pay 5% of monthly income toward gas and 5% toward electric. All-electric households generally pay 10% toward electric. The minimum payment is $10.

Each full and timely PIPP Plus payment can earn a credit equal to 1/24 of the old balance. You must report income or household-size changes within 30 days, reverify every 12 months, and make up missed PIPP payments by the anniversary date. Missing these steps can remove you from PIPP and leave debt due. Ask about Graduate PIPP Plus or Post PIPP options if your income rises or you leave the utility.

Summer Crisis Program

The 2026 Summer Crisis Program ran from July 1 through September 30, 2026, and is closed as of this update. It helped with electric bills, central-air repairs, and some air conditioners or fans. The next year’s dates and amounts should be checked when Ohio announces them.

For the 2026 season, a household had to meet the income rule and a qualifying need, such as a member age 60 or older, a documented medical need for cooling, a shutoff notice, disconnected power, or a need to start electric service. Some PIPP Plus households could qualify for cooling equipment or air repairs even without bill help. These were 2026 rules, not proof of current enrollment.

For the closed 2026 season, bill help was up to $500 for PUCO-regulated utility accounts and up to $800 for municipal or cooperative accounts. Limits, equipment, funding, and local appointments can change with the next season. Do not count on a summer benefit in October.

Winter Crisis Program

The 2026–27 Winter Crisis Program runs from November 1, 2026 through March 31, 2027. It can help eligible households facing a shutoff, disconnected heat, first-time or transferred service, PIPP default or enrollment, or 25% or less bulk fuel left. It may also help with fuel tanks and heating equipment in approved cases.

As of October 13, 2026, Winter Crisis has not yet opened. The current program lists maximum help of $175 for PUCO-regulated gas or electric, $750 for municipal or cooperative accounts, $1,200 for certain bulk fuels, $650 for wood or coal, and a separate limit up to $1,500 for some heating repairs. Benefits are not guaranteed. You can start an online form, but you must also have a local provider appointment to finish a Winter Crisis request. If you have an active medical certificate, ask your provider about the Winter Crisis timing rule.

Weatherization and electric savings

The Home Weatherization program (HWAP) helps approved households use less energy. Work may include insulation, air sealing, heating system repairs, and safety testing after a home check. Priority includes older adults, people with disabilities, children in the home, and high-energy-use households. It is not a same-day bill payment. SSI, TANF, or regular HEAP in the past 12 months may satisfy the income test, but you must still apply.

The Electric Partnership Program (EPP) may include a home energy audit, education, and approved ways to cut electric use. Some PIPP Plus customers may need to take part when the home qualifies. Ask the local provider what an inspection covers and whether the landlord must approve work.

Current income limits

For July 2026–June 2027, HEAP, PIPP Plus, and the crisis programs generally use 175% of the federal poverty guideline for households of one to seven. HWAP uses 200%. These are annual income ceilings, not benefit amounts. The Ohio consumer advocate lists 60% of state median income for households of eight or more in the energy programs.

For eight or more people, Ohio uses the 60% state-median-income test for the HEAP and crisis programs; for example, the 2026–27 annual amount shown for eight people is $94,881. HWAP’s published 200% annual cap for eight is $111,440. Check the latest chart if your family is larger. An agency may review the past 30 days or the past 12 months. Wages earned by dependent children under age 18 are not counted, but other household income must be reported.

Shutoff protections and payment plans

The shutoff rules below apply mainly to investor-owned electric and gas utilities regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO). City-run utilities, electric co-ops, submetered service, and landlord-paid accounts may have different rights. Ask your company who regulates it before relying on a protection.

Pending application hold

The PUCO pending-application rule can delay nonpayment disconnection for 30 days after a qualifying HEAP or PIPP Plus application, or a Winter or Summer Crisis request. Current consumer guidance says the 30-day delay is generally available once each year, including when a local crisis appointment is made during the crisis season. Ask the utility whether your application or appointment has been received, whether the hold can be used, and when it ends. The hold does not clear the bill.

Required payment plans

If you cannot reach an individual agreement, PUCO-regulated electric and gas utilities must offer standard plans. The Ohio payment-plan guide lists:

• One-sixth plan: past-due debt divided over six months, plus current use.
• One-ninth plan: past-due debt divided over nine months with budget billing.
• One-third plan: one-third of the total balance each month from November 1 through April 15.

The new 2026–27 reconnect order is now active. It started October 12, 2026, so do not use the expired 2025–26 dates to judge current rights.

2026–27 Special Reconnect Order

The PUCO’s September 30 order announcement confirms the new order runs October 12, 2026–April 16, 2027. Residential customers of PUCO-regulated electric or gas companies may use it once per heating season per utility, regardless of income.

Pay up to $175 to prevent a shutoff or restore service when the order applies. If service is off, an upfront reconnect charge may be up to $36; any extra reconnect-charge balance may go on a later bill. The $175 can be split between two regulated providers if both agree. It can also help start new service in place of paying the full deposit up front, with any extra deposit handled later. Call your utility to use the order and ask for a plan for unpaid charges. HEAP Winter Crisis may help eligible households with the $175 payment once its season opens, but the order itself has no income cap.

30-day medical certificate

The medical certificate guide covers residential customers of PUCO-regulated electric, natural-gas, and water utilities. A licensed medical professional must certify a health risk to a permanent household member or the need for medical equipment. A certificate may block a shutoff or help restore service if it has been off for no more than 21 days. A medical certificate is not the same as Winter Crisis enrollment.

A medical certificate protects service for up to 30 days and may be used up to three times in a rolling 12 months. A new signed form is needed each time. It does not forgive debt. Ask the company about a payment plan while the certificate applies. If anyone uses life-support equipment, ask the medical team about a safe backup plan; being on a utility’s critical-customer list does not promise uninterrupted power.

Utility complaint

First contact your utility and record the date, staff name, amount owed, and what it offered. If a PUCO-regulated utility does not resolve the problem, use the PUCO complaint process or call 1-800-686-7826. PUCO cannot enforce these rules against a provider it does not regulate.

Water, sewer, county, and local help

Help with water and sewer bills is often local, not a regular statewide cash benefit. Call the company on the bill. Ask about shutoff rules, leak reviews, payment plans, and local discounts. Then use Ohio 211 for county referrals. The old federal LIHWAP program is not an open, nationwide water grant you can assume is still available.

County PRC

Ohio’s county-run Prevention, Retention, and Contingency (PRC) program may help some families with short-term utility costs, transportation, repairs, or work supplies. Rules, child-in-home conditions, income tests, deadlines, and funding vary by county. Use the county PRC plan finder, then call the local Job and Family Services office to confirm the plan in force now.

City water examples

These are local examples, not statewide promises. Some cities offer extra credits after a leak or give separate past-due grants. Ask your local Community Action agency which utility funds are currently open and whether it can help you apply. Cleveland homeowners should note that the CHN water discount does not stop an active shutoff; contact Cleveland Water about a payment plan.

Phone and internet help

The federal Lifeline program may reduce eligible home internet or bundled service by up to $9.25 per month. A standard phone-only benefit may be up to $5.25. Income at or below 135% of the 2026 federal poverty guideline, or qualifying SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, federal public housing assistance, or certain veteran benefits, may qualify. Apply through the official Lifeline system.

Lifeline normally allows one benefit per household, with rules for people who live together but keep separate finances. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ended; sites offering a new ACP payment may be wrong or trying to collect your data. Ask an internet provider about other low-cost plans, but check the price and all fees first.

How to apply without losing time

1. Start with the current state page. Choose the official application instructions. Online filing uses an OHID account and the Energy Assistance Portal. The listed online system needs a computer rather than a phone or tablet. If you cannot use it, ask for a paper or agency-assisted application.
2. Find your county’s agency. Use the local provider map and ask whether an appointment can be held by phone.
3. Make a crisis appointment. An online start is not a completed Winter Crisis case. Confirm the appointment date, needed papers, and whether it protects service while you wait.
4. Call the utility. Ask about the $175 reconnect order, the 30-day hold, payment plans, and the amount due while HEAP is pending.
5. Keep proof and check status. Save confirmation numbers and call 800-282-0880 or your local provider if documents are missing. A regular online or mailed application can take up to 12 weeks.

Do not mail original identity or citizenship papers. Sign the form, send copies of each required item, and check that the agency got every page. For online filing, you may need clear photos or scans of income, the current bill, and identity records. If your service is at risk, use a crisis appointment and utility contact instead of waiting on a mailed application.

Documents to gather

Requirements can differ by program and household. Start with the list below. Keep your own copy of every document and the date you sent it.

If food costs are part of the crisis, the Ohio SNAP guide lists food benefits and local backup routes. If your family needs cash help, the Ohio TANF guide explains Ohio Works First and county offices.