The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, also known as LIHEAP, will start offering crisis grants on January 2, 2013 to provide emergency home heating support to those struggling to heat their home this winter.

"The crisis grants are the second phase of the department's LIHEAP program, which has been offering cash grants since November 1." Department of Public Welfare Secretary Gary D. Alexander said. "We open the crisis program in January as the temperatures in Pennsylvania really begin to plummet and heating one's home becomes a lifesaving measure."

The LIHEAP crisis grants are in place to address heating emergencies such as broken heating equipment, a lack of fuel, or a danger of being without fuel. To expedite the crisis grant process, the department recommends completing an application online at www.compass.state.pa.us. Paper applications are still available through local county assistance offices, or interested applicants can download and print an application from the department's website.

"Households who have already received a cash grant this year and find themselves in a heating emergency do not need to complete another application," Alexander said. "As long as they have not had a change in address or number of people in their household, they can simply call their local county assistance office to request the crisis grant."

For helpful tips on how to keep your home warm throughout the winter while saving money on utility costs, the department suggests visiting www.energysavers.gov.

For more information on the LIHEAP program, or to download an application, visit the Department of Public Welfare's website at www.dpw.state.pa.us and click on "For Adults."

For Allegheny County only: All LIHEAP crisis requests are now handled by the Allegheny County Assistance Offices. They will no longer be handled by the Allegheny County Department of Human Services. Clients residing in Allegheny County who have questions about the LIHEAP crisis grant should now call 1-800-622-3527.

Eligibility guidelines for all Pennsylvania counties: The chart below shows the maximum income allowed for eligibility based on household size. Each additional person in the household adds $5,940 to the maximum income allowed for eligibility.