How do I apply for utility bill assistance?

You can apply for utility bill assistance online, by phone, by mail, or in person. If your power is disconnected, please contact us.

The same is true if you have received a disconnection notice, please contact us at any time of the year.

You can apply beginning October 1st for regular assistance (no disconnection notice needed) if your household meets one of the following criteria:

1. You or someone living with you is age sixty or over, or
2. You or someone living with you has a disability, or
3. The power company disconnected you, or you have a disconnection notice for your heating, electricity, water, or sewer service, or
4. You use propane and your tank is at or below 30% full.
5. Have a furnace that is not working properly.

All other households can apply beginning November 1st. The last day to apply for the winter heating season is April 30th.

You may get help to pay for part of your winter heating costs if you meet income guidelines. Community Action of Eastern Iowa will help you apply for benefits through the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). Until you apply, we cannot tell you how much money you will receive, but the amount could range from $200 to more than $500. Assistance levels depend on income level, family size, the type of fuel you use to heat your home, and other factors. If you are determined to be eligible for benefits through the LIHEAP program, you will receive protection from being disconnected from your heating and electrical service (but not your water or sewer service) through April 1st of each year.

If you heat your home with liquid propane (LP), you can qualify to receive delivery of propane through this program.

Please gather the required documents for your application before applying.

Apply Now Using One of These Methods:

1. Apply online on your phone or computer. If you are comfortable applying online, this is the fastest way to apply. We recommend using a phone because you will be able to use the phone's camera to take photos of your documentation. You can only apply online between November 1st and April 30th. 

          To apply visit our article LIHEAP Online Applications.

1. Download and print a paper application, complete it and mail it back to us. You can download a packet in English or Spanish. If you do not have a printer and would like us to mail a paper application packet to you, please request a utility assistance packet by starting a conversation with us.
2. Visit one of our red box drop-off sites in the community to pick up a printed application.
   • Community Action - 500 East 59th Street, Davenport
   • Community Action - Inside the Muscatine Mall
   • Community Action - 101 Lynn Street, Tipton
   • Head Start Building - 350 5th Ave N, Clinton
   • DeWitt Referral Center - 914 14th Avenue, Dewitt
3. You can call us at 563-324-3236 to request an application be mailed to you.

Once an application is submitted with all required documents provided our Community Services Department will process it in 6 to 8 weeks.

Applying by Proxy

Please contact us directly to let us know if you are assisting someone with the application. We may have additional forms for you to sign and can assign a worker if you have multiple people you are assisting at the same time.