Utility Assistance for Single Mothers in Wyoming

Where to start

High rent can make it harder to keep up with power bills. See the Wyoming housing assistance guide. Food help may ease pressure on your budget; check the Wyoming SNAP and food guide.

What changed for the 2026–2027 heating season

Since this post was last revised in August 2026, Wyoming has opened LIEAP. The state now accepts applications from October 1, 2026, through April 30, 2027. It uses a new short address, MyLIEAPWYO.org, which takes readers to the state LIEAP page. The application button there opens the portal.

• Old heating balances: The 2026–2027 seasonal benefit cannot pay utility bills from before October 1, 2026.
• Disconnect notices: A notice from the past 30 days may help you get aid for up to two utilities. Wyoming allows one payment per utility during the season, if you qualify.
• New crisis rule: Since October 1, a household requesting crisis assistance must show at least one verifiable payment toward its primary or secondary utility in the prior 60 days. If you have no payment proof, call LIEAP to discuss the decision and other help right away; do not assume the rule is waived.

See the state’s LIEAP questions and answers for processing times, payments, and reapplications.

Quick reference

Wyoming LIEAP for winter heating bills

Wyoming’s Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) helps eligible households pay part of their winter heating costs. It may cover natural gas, electricity used for heat, propane, coal, wood, pellets, or other approved fuel. Payments go straight to your utility or fuel supplier, not to you. LIEAP is not a cash grant for rent or food.

When to apply and who may qualify

Applications are open October 1, 2026–April 30, 2027. You must make a new application each heating season. Wyoming DFS lists a household income limit of 60% of the state median income. Use the current state chart or have LIEAP check your income; don’t rely on last year’s dollar amounts.

You must live in Wyoming. Homeowners and renters may qualify. The state also allows some people in permanently parked RVs, fifth wheels, or campers with physical addresses to apply. Households with adults age 60 or older, a person with a disability, or a child age 5 or younger may receive priority; priority does not guarantee aid.

What payments cover—and what they do not

The state says seasonal benefits may pay part of an eligible winter heating bill from October 1, 2026 onward. They do not cover older bills. Approved seasonal benefits may be used through May 31, 2027, or until the benefit runs out. Amounts vary by income, family size, heating costs, and funding. A bill credit may take time to appear because the vendor must invoice LIEAP.

LIEAP does not pay late fees, reconnect or disconnect fees, collection costs, appliance plans, and several other non-heating charges. If your bill includes these, ask the supplier what remains due.

Heating emergencies and the 60-day payment rule

If you get seasonal LIEAP, you may also qualify for one added crisis payment. This can help when you get a shutoff notice, run out of fuel, owe a utility deposit, or have a broken furnace. Crisis assistance is available within the heating-season window, subject to its rules and funding.

New in October 2026: To qualify for crisis help, you must show at least one verifiable payment toward your primary or secondary utility in the previous 60 days. The state’s new guidance also describes help for a disconnection notice from the past 30 days, with up to two utilities covered, one payment for each in the season. Keep your receipts, account payment history, and notices. Ask LIEAP how the rule applies to your situation.

Wyoming says heat-loss emergencies are handled within 18 business hours after applying; this is a program handling goal, not a promise that your heat will be restored then. For a non-emergency application, DFS says processing can take up to 45 days. Keep working with your provider during that time.

How to apply

1. Open the LIEAP/WAP application portal. You can also start at the state LIEAP page.
2. Create or sign in to your account and choose the 2026–2027 seasonal LIEAP application.
3. Provide household identity, all household income proof, and recent heating and electric bills. Add a shutoff notice if one exists. Complete any special forms for rent, zero income, work, or an RV when asked.
4. Submit the completed form. Check the portal, email, and mail for missing-document requests. Save your confirmation.
5. If you cannot apply online, call 1-800-246-4221; DFS says staff can help complete an application by phone. You can also write lieapinfo@wyo.gov.

If you have already applied and later get a shutoff notice, call LIEAP and send a copy of the notice. If your fuel vendor does not take LIEAP, ask the office whether an approved vendor is available in your area.

Weatherization can lower future bills

Wyoming’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) accepts applications all year. It may provide free home energy work for eligible households: insulation, leak sealing, heating-system improvements, safety checks, and smoke or carbon-monoxide alarms. An energy audit helps decide what work is allowed.

WAP uses different income rules from LIEAP. DFS lists income up to 200% of the federal poverty level as one way to meet WAP’s income test. Some people on SNAP, SSI, or TANF may meet its income test through that program. Approved LIEAP households are considered for WAP, but WAP help is not automatic.

Homeowners and renters may qualify; renters need the landlord’s written consent. Mobile homes may also qualify. A home generally cannot be weatherized again until 15 years have passed. Approval does not mean work starts the same year because providers use a priority system.

Apply through the same LIEAP/WAP portal, even if you want only weatherization; choose the WAP option. If you cannot use the portal because you are homebound or have no internet, call 1-800-246-4221 for help. Weatherization is not an emergency payment for a past-due bill.

Find your weatherization provider

These service areas are listed in the state’s weatherization partner information. Call the statewide LIEAP/WAP line first if you are unsure which office covers your ZIP code; field offices and assignments can change. Crews may be away at job sites, so leave a message if needed.

Wyoming utility shutoff rules

There is no rule that stops every winter shutoff in Wyoming. The Public Service Commission (PSC) has rules for the utilities it regulates. City systems, co-ops, propane companies, and landlord-provided heat may follow different laws or policies. Ask the Wyoming PSC rules office whether your company is covered.

Seven-day notice and cold-weather contact

For many PSC-regulated utilities, Wyoming Rule 3-9 requires at least seven calendar days’ notice before a residential shutoff for nonpayment. Between November 1 and April 30, the utility must try to reach the customer personally before disconnecting service. Do not treat this as a winter-wide ban.

Medical, weather, and holiday protections

If shutoff would put someone in danger, ask their health care provider for a written note. For PSC-regulated service, this can delay shutoff by 15 days if the utility gets the note before the shutoff date. Ask the provider and utility for the right form right away.

The rule also limits shutoffs on legal holidays and the preceding day, between December 24 and January 2, and on days when service cannot be reconnected. It has added protection during certain dangerous cold-weather conditions, including a forecast below 32°F within the next 48 hours, subject to the rule’s conditions. These protections do not erase unpaid bills or always apply to unregulated providers.

How to dispute a shutoff

Start with the company. Ask it to check the notice, due date, payment agreement, medical need, or disputed charge. Keep the notice and notes on calls. For a PSC-regulated utility, use the PSC complaint process, email wpsc_complaints@wyo.gov, or call 307-777-7427 or 888-570-9905. Avoid putting sensitive medical details into a public complaint form; the PSC warns records may be public.

Local and utility-company assistance

Local groups may help with gaps that LIEAP does not cover or when you need action faster than routine processing. Availability varies by county, the utility company, and current donations. Some groups ask for proof of income, a shutoff notice, or proof that you sought other aid.

Wyoming 211

Wyoming 211 helps find local utility, rent, food, and transport support. Call 211 or 1-888-425-7138, or text a ZIP code to 898211. Use the 211 resource directory to search after office hours.

Energy Share of Wyoming

Energy Share of Wyoming is a donation-funded, last-resort program for some energy emergencies. The organization says applicants must show attempts to get other help. Its site lists county representatives and local application steps. Ask your local partner if applications are being taken now; do not assume funding is open or a payment is promised.

Rocky Mountain Power

The company’s bill payment assistance page explains payment arrangements and points Wyoming customers to LIEAP and Energy Share. Ask what portion you must pay to prevent shutoff and whether a pledge from another agency changes that amount.

Black Hills Energy

Black Hills Energy’s Wyoming resources include LIEAP, payment arrangements, and the donation-supported Black Hills Cares program for eligible customers. Ask whether funds are available for your account. Its Wyoming support materials also list 888-890-5554 for bill-payment help.

Enbridge Gas

Enbridge’s Wyoming bill-help page points customers to LIEAP and Wyoming 211. Ask about payment plans and Wyoming-specific help. Do not assume the REACH program advertised for Utah customers applies to Wyoming.

For groups that help with other bills and family needs, use the Wyoming community support guide. Community Action agencies may also help with applications, food, and housing.

Water and sewer bill help

Wyoming does not have one statewide water-bill program that works like LIEAP. Water and sewer assistance is usually handled by the city, water district, county charity, or local nonprofit.

Call the provider before shutoff and ask about a payment plan, hardship fund, leak adjustment, deposit help, and the exact amount needed to keep service on. Then search Wyoming 211 for water-service payment assistance.

If water is included in rent or the landlord controls the account, keep written records and contact legal aid if shutoff affects the rental. Housing help may also be available through ASMOM’s Wyoming housing guide linked above.

Phone and internet bill help

Federal Lifeline can cut monthly phone or internet costs for eligible households. You may qualify through income or programs such as SNAP or Medicaid. The standard discount is up to $9.25 a month for internet or a phone-and-internet plan. Phone-only plans may get up to $5.25. Eligible homes on Tribal lands may get up to $34.25. Provider plans differ.

Only one Lifeline benefit per household is allowed. To apply, use the official Lifeline application instructions, then choose a participating phone or internet company. Lifeline is separate from Wyoming LIEAP and will not pay heating bills.

Documents and information to gather

Do not delay a shutoff call while you collect every paper. Start with the bill and notice, and ask LIEAP or the local group what it still needs. Wyoming DFS asks for household identity, income proof for each member, and recent heating and electric bills that show the service address and account number.

Keep the date you sent each document and a copy of any decision notice. If you cannot get one item, call before the deadline to ask about other ways to prove it.

If help is denied, delayed, or unavailable

Read the notice. A denial might be about missing proof, income, household status, or the new crisis payment rule. Save the notice, account history, screenshots, and proof you sent.

Ask for a written review within 10 days

Wyoming DFS says you can request a local conference review of a LIEAP eligibility or benefit decision in writing within 10 days of receiving your notice. Explain what you believe is wrong. You can email lieapinfo@wyo.gov or mail LIEAP, PO Box 827, Cheyenne, WY 82003. Read the notice for all appeal rights and instructions; do not rely on a phone call alone to meet the deadline.

Reapply when facts change

If you were denied because you did not provide proof or your income has fallen, DFS says you may be able to reopen and resubmit the 2026–2027 application. Sign in to the portal, find the denied application, move it back to draft, update the forms, then submit again. A saved draft is not an application for review. The state’s LIEAP FAQ and reapplication guide explains the steps.

Other problems

If your application is taking too long, check its status online or call 1-800-246-4221. Non-emergency cases may take up to 45 days. If the problem is with a utility company, use the PSC complaint process if it regulates that company. If your landlord controls heat or you face eviction, get legal aid before making a risky move.

DFS also offers a department contact and complaint route. If state assistance is unavailable, ask 211, Energy Share, and your provider about another option right now.