Utility Assistance for Single Mothers in South Dakota

Quick reference: where to start

What has changed

As of October 21, 2026, the state energy page still shows 2025–2026 heating-season income figures. They are kept below as a dated reference, not described as confirmed 2026–2027 limits. Ask the state for the limits it will use on your application.

Also, Otter Tail Power’s Uplift bill credit is listed for Minnesota customers, not South Dakota customers. South Dakota customers should ask Otter Tail about payment extensions, arrangements, and state energy aid instead.

South Dakota Low Income Energy Assistance (LIEAP)

LIEAP is for eligible homes that pay heating costs. It may help with natural gas, electric heat, propane, fuel oil, wood, or coal. Renters can also ask about help when heat is part of their rent or paid to the landlord. You must list the people in your household and provide proof of income.

The state usually pays an approved heating benefit to the energy supplier. There is an important exception: the state application says help for heat included in rent, wood, or coal may be paid by direct deposit or an electronic payment card. Follow the payment instructions in your notice, rather than assuming every payment will go to a company.

The official LIEAP application sets limits on what can be covered. For natural gas and electric heat, approved benefits can go toward unpaid charges from meter reads dated October 1 through May 15. For propane and fuel oil, the form covers unpaid fills from July 1 through April 30. These are heating-charge dates, not a promise about the day your application will be approved.

LIEAP cannot repay a bill you have already paid. It cannot pay bills for a business or other non-home building. It cannot fill an extra storage tank or buy fuel for delivery after April 30. The amount of help depends on the case. Keep making any payment you agree to with the supplier.

If your heat is included in rent, ask your landlord for a signed statement that shows how heat is paid and what type of heat the home uses. If you pay your landlord for heat on top of rent, explain that on the form. If you rent, you can still ask about LIEAP.

Income limits: check the correct heating season

South Dakota checks gross income, meaning money before deductions, for the three full calendar months before the month you apply. A person who applies in October, for example, would normally send proof from July, August, and September. Rules can differ for some types of income, so follow the state form.

Important: The following amounts are from the 2025–2026 heating season, which was still the latest table shown on the DSS state page on October 21, 2026. They are not confirmed 2026–2027 limits. Call 800-233-8503 to check this season’s figures before deciding if your family qualifies.

Do not use this table for weatherization or Tribal LIHEAP. Those programs may use different rules. Do not assume that earning just above an old figure means you cannot apply this year.

How to apply for heating assistance

1. Open the state online LIEAP application or print the state’s PDF form.
2. List all people living in the home, the heat type, and the utility or fuel supplier. Do not leave out other adults or people who live with you part of the time. Ask the office if you are unsure whom to include.
3. Attach income proof for the past three full months, a current heating bill or fuel receipt, and an electric bill if the form calls for one. If heat is in rent, include landlord details.
4. Follow the state web page’s instruction that each household member age 18 or older must sign. Check the current form for how to sign online and whether an authorized representative may sign.
5. Email the completed signed application and proof to DSSHeat@state.sd.us, use the online process, or mail papers to Office of Energy Assistance, 700 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501.

DSS says a decision can take up to 60 days. A letter will tell you the result or ask for more information. To check your case, call 800-233-8503, option 1. The state application also says you must report a move to Energy Assistance within 10 days, or the case may close. If you need urgent help, do not wait for the normal review: report the crisis to the office and the utility.

The state resource listing says applications received after March 31 are handled for the next heating season; the federal South Dakota LIHEAP profile lists year-round program dates. These statements concern different aspects of program operations. Ask the state which season your application will cover and whether crisis aid is available for your present bill. The older season dates alone do not prove a current emergency is excluded.

South Dakota winter shutoff and medical rules

There is no complete winter ban on shutoffs. Under South Dakota’s winter disconnection rule, a covered utility must give more time before shutting off home service. It must add 30 days to the normal notice period from November 1 through March 31. The utility must tell the customer about those extra days before the normal shutoff date. The balance does not go away.

A medical emergency may also give you time. Under the medical emergency rule, a covered utility must delay shutoff for 30 days if it gets a doctor’s certificate or a notice from a public health or social services official. The notice must say that losing service would make a current medical emergency worse. This is a single 30-day period, not a monthly renewal. Ask your utility what document it needs and when to send it.

These rules apply within the state’s regulated gas and electric utility system. A city utility or electric cooperative may have different rules. Ask your provider who handles payment disputes and what protections apply to your account. You can read the Public Utilities Commission complaint process if your provider is investor-owned.

For disputed bills, act quickly. Ask for a payment plan and follow the dates on any formal disconnection notice. Do not assume filing a complaint will stop a shutoff unless the utility or commission confirms it.

Help from your utility company

Energy companies can sometimes offer payment plans, due-date changes, budget billing, or a link to a local fund. These options are for that company’s customers only. Ask what you must pay now and whether a charity pledge will hold the account.

• Black Hills Energy: Ask about Black Hills Cares, payment agreements, and South Dakota energy assistance. Use its South Dakota assistance resources and call customer service to confirm which funds are taking requests.
• NorthWestern Energy: Its payment help page offers help with payment arrangements, due dates, and local referrals. South Dakota customers can call 800-245-6977.
• Otter Tail Power: Its payment assistance page explains payment extensions, arrangements, and the Even Monthly Payment plan. South Dakota customers can call 800-257-4044. The separate Uplift bill-credit program is for Minnesota residential customers, not South Dakota customers.
• Xcel Energy: Ask about past-due account options, a payment arrangement, and local energy assistance. Start with its South Dakota energy help page and confirm details with a representative.
• Montana-Dakota Utilities: Its low-income assistance page points South Dakota customers to LIEAP and crisis assistance. Some dates and case rules on the company page refer to older heating seasons; use DSS for current decisions. Ask about local partners such as Church Response in the Rapid City area.

For an electric cooperative or town-run utility, ask if it has Operation Round Up, a member fund, or a special billing plan. These are not statewide guarantees. If you cannot find the right contact, the Helpline Center can help direct you.

Weatherization: longer-term help

South Dakota’s Weatherization Assistance Program may pay for approved home changes that cut heat loss. These can include insulation, air sealing, weather-stripping, and needed heating repairs. The state Community Action directory lists four agencies serving different counties.

Weatherization may give priority to older people, people with disabilities, and families with young children. A renter may qualify, but landlord permission may be needed. Funding and waitlists vary. It is not a payment to stop a shutoff this afternoon.

• Western South Dakota Community Action: Rapid City and western counties.
• Grow SD: Sisseton, Aberdeen area, and other northeastern and central counties.
• Inter-Lakes Community Action: Madison, Sioux Falls area, and other eastern counties.
• Rural Office of Community Services (ROCS): Wagner and many southern counties.

Find your county on the state directory before calling; agency service areas can change. The U.S. Energy Department’s winter tips also explain low-cost ways to reduce drafts. Never block vents or change fuel-burning equipment without qualified help.

Water, sewer, phone, and internet bills

Water and sewer

The federal federal water assistance program (LIHWAP) was temporary and ended in 2024; there is no ongoing LIHWAP household payment program to rely on. Water help is usually local. Call the number on your bill and ask about a payment plan, leak review, county aid, and whether a city fund is open.

For example, Sioux Falls customers can check the city’s utility billing information. Rapid City’s Utility Rate Relief Program gives a 25% city utility discount to some residents who are at least 65 or have a qualifying disability. You must also meet the city’s very low income rule, pay the city bill in your name, and live in the home as your main home. You can apply at any time; approved customers must renew by April 30 of odd-numbered years to stay enrolled. For questions, call Rapid City Public Works at 605-394-4165. People served by a rural or Tribal water system should call that provider.

Phone and internet

Lifeline is separate from LIHEAP. It gives a monthly phone or internet discount to qualifying households. Standard help is generally up to $9.25 a month for eligible internet or bundled plans, and up to $5.25 for voice-only service under the current federal rules. Eligible residents on qualifying Tribal lands may receive an enhanced benefit worth up to $34.25 a month. Rules allow only one Lifeline benefit per household, not one per person.

Check the official Lifeline program for eligibility and providers. Some households qualify by income or through benefits like SNAP or Medicaid. Lifeline is not a replacement for water or heating aid. Do not confuse it with the former Affordable Connectivity Program.

Tribal heating aid and Tribal Lifeline

Some Tribal governments run their own LIHEAP programs. Service areas, eligibility, forms, and dates may differ from state LIEAP. Start with your Tribal social services office or the federal Tribal LIHEAP directory.

The South Dakota application says a household may receive state or Tribal LIEAP for one home from one agency in the same program year, but not both. Check with the offices before applying to two programs or accepting duplicate aid.

For phone or internet service on qualifying Tribal lands, ask the provider about the enhanced Lifeline discount and Tribal Link Up. Link Up may help with setup costs through certain participating providers; it is not available for every service.

Documents to gather

The DSS application asks for household, supplier, and income details. Gather what you have now, ask what is missing, and send new proof quickly. A missing signature or needed document can delay the decision.

Do not use bank statements as your only income proof: the current application says they are not accepted for that purpose. If you are paid in cash or cannot get a pay stub, call and ask what substitute proof DSS will accept. Keep copies of all documents and email or mail receipts.

If help is denied, delayed, or too small

For LIEAP: Read the notice as soon as it arrives. Check the people counted, the income months used, the kind of heating, the supplier, and any missing proof. Ask DSS to explain the result and whether it needs more documents.

The current LIEAP application says you may request a fair hearing within 60 days of your denial or benefit notice. It gives this address: Department of Social Services, Office of Administrative Hearings, 700 Governors Drive, Pierre, SD 57501-2291. Follow the instructions and dates in your own notice. This information is not legal advice.

For a utility bill or shutoff dispute: Contact the company first. If it is an investor-owned electric, natural gas, or phone company, call the South Dakota PUC at 605-773-3201 or 800-332-1782, or use its consumer complaint steps. Municipal utilities and electric co-ops may have another review office. Keep payment proof and call notes.

For help with an appeal, a hearing notice, or eviction, see the South Dakota legal help guide. If a payment plan is not enough, ask 211 to find a second source of help without promising that any local fund is open.

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