Keeping the Heat On: Utility Help for Older Adults in Central Ohio This Winter

A fixed income, a 1960s furnace and a past-due gas bill is a common combination in central Ohio. Ohio has several separate programs built for exactly that, and most families only hear about one of them.

By Ray Kessler, Certified Senior Advisor · Published September 30, 2026

The Bill That Arrives in January

A daughter in Gahanna drops by her mother's ranch house in early January and notices the thermostat is set to 58. Her mother, a retired school secretary living on Social Security, says she is "fine in a sweater." The daughter finds the reason on the kitchen counter: two months of gas bills, the most recent one stamped with a past-due notice. Her mother had not mentioned it because she did not want to be a burden.

This is one of the quieter care emergencies in central Ohio, and it belongs in a caregiving plan as much as a fall-prevention checklist does. A cold house is a health risk for an older adult, and the shame that keeps people from asking for help is often the biggest obstacle. The good news is that Ohio runs a layered set of programs that can pay part of a bill, cap future bills, stop a shutoff, and make the house itself cheaper to heat. They are separate programs with separate rules, and they work best when used together. This guide walks through each one in the order most families need them.

Start Before the Shutoff Notice, Not After

The single most useful habit is to apply early. The state's main heating help, the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP), is administered locally through Energy Assistance Providers, which are community organizations that do the appointments and paperwork. According to the Ohio Consumers' Counsel, the online starting point for applications is energyhelp.ohio.gov, and the state's toll-free number for questions is 1-877-742-5622. The application typically has an online portion followed by an appointment with a local provider, either in person or remote, and appointment slots fill up as cold weather arrives.

Bring what the provider will ask for: photo identification, a list of everyone who lives in the household, recent utility bills, and proof of income for the household. For a retiree, that usually means the annual benefit letters for Social Security and any pension or annuity statements. If a parent has always handled the bills, sit down together ahead of the appointment and gather everything in one folder, because the bills must be in an adult household member's name to qualify.

One administrative note: the Ohio Department of Development's energy assistance page states that effective April 6, 2026, these programs are administered by the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. The programs and the local provider appointments continue, but if you find older paperwork or web pages that name a different state agency, that change is the reason. When in doubt, start at energyhelp.ohio.gov rather than a bookmarked page.

The Winter Crisis Program: Money Toward the Bill

The HEAP Winter Crisis Program runs from November 1, 2026, through March 31, 2027. It is aimed at households facing disconnection, already disconnected, needing a new service connection, or running low on bulk fuel. Both homeowners and renters can apply, as long as the utility account is in the name of an adult in the home.

The income ceiling for 2026-2027 is 175 percent of the federal poverty guidelines for households of up to seven people. For a single person that works out to $27,930 a year, or about $2,295 a month; for a family of four it is $57,750. Many older adults assume they earn too much because they own a home or have a modest savings account, so it is worth checking the income figure rather than guessing. The maximum benefits published by the Consumers' Counsel for this season are $175 toward a bill from a utility regulated by the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio (PUCO), up to $750 for municipal utilities and cooperatives, up to $1,200 for bulk fuel such as heating oil, propane or kerosene, and up to $1,500 for repair or replacement of a broken heating unit.

That last category deserves attention in the older neighborhoods of Columbus and in the rural parts of Madison, Pickaway and Union counties, where propane and oil furnaces are common. A furnace that quits in January is a crisis of its own, and the Winter Crisis Program can help pay for repair or replacement for households that qualify.

The Special Reconnect Order: The Rule Most Families Miss

Separate from HEAP, PUCO issues a Special Reconnect Order for the winter heating season. In the 2025-2026 season it ran from October 13, 2025, through April 15, 2026, and PUCO has followed a similar pattern in other recent winters. I could not confirm the exact 2026-2027 dates at the time of writing, so ask your utility or check the PUCO website before relying on a date.

The order is powerful because it has no income test. Under the 2025-2026 order, an electric or natural gas customer of a PUCO-regulated utility could reconnect or keep service by paying $175, even when the unpaid balance was much larger, and the reconnection fee was capped at $36. Customers who owe more than $175 must enroll in a payment plan for the remainder. The $175 can be split between two utilities, and new customers can start service with $175 in place of a full security deposit. The catch is that you must ask: call the utility and say you want to use the Special Reconnect Order. A household that also meets the HEAP income limit can often have the Winter Crisis Program cover that $175.

If a shutoff notice has already arrived, the Consumers' Counsel notes that scheduling an appointment with a local Energy Assistance Provider can delay disconnection for 30 days. That breathing room is often enough to gather documents and apply.

PIPP Plus: Making Winter Bills Predictable

The programs above help with a specific bill. The Percentage of Income Payment Plan, called PIPP Plus, changes the bill going forward. Households at or below the same 175 percent income level pay a set percentage of their monthly income for electric and natural gas service: five percent for each service, with a $10 minimum, and ten percent of income for an all-electric home. That gives someone on a fixed income a number they can budget around all year, instead of a January spike.

PIPP Plus also works on old debt. For each on-time payment, one twenty-fourth of the outstanding balance is credited, and the Graduate PIPP Plus and Post PIPP Plus options offer further ways to clear what remains. Applications are accepted year-round through the same energy assistance channels. The trade-offs are real, though: you must pay on time and in full, report changes in income or household within 30 days, and complete the annual reverification. The Consumers' Counsel warns that customers who do not reverify are removed from the plan. For a parent with mild memory loss, this is the part that needs a backup plan, such as a calendar reminder kept by an adult child or a standing appointment to review the paperwork together each year.

Weatherization: Lowering the Bill Permanently

Bill assistance is a patch. Ohio's Home Weatherization Assistance Program (HWAP) tries to fix the cause by insulating, air-sealing and repairing heating systems in the homes of income-eligible households. Ohio's published guidance gives priority to Ohioans over 60, which is a reason older homeowners should apply even if they have never used any other program. Waiting lists can be long, and the work is done through local agencies, so ask your energy assistance provider to put a parent on the list at the same appointment as the HEAP application rather than as a separate later project.

Weatherization also fits neatly with home safety work. If a parent's house is being assessed anyway, that is a good time to look at the other risks covered in our guide to fall prevention and home safety in central Ohio, and the checklist in preparing an aging parent's home for a central Ohio winter.

Which Office Handles Your County

Local providers differ by county, and this is where families most often get stuck. One published directory lists two agencies handling HEAP and PIPP in Franklin County, IMPACT Community Action and The Breathing Association, and applications can also be started online. For Delaware, Fairfield, Licking, Madison, Pickaway and Union counties, I would rather send you to the state's provider lookup at energyhelp.ohio.gov than name an office that may have changed its hours or contract. Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging also publishes a utilities guide for older adults, and its staff can point you to the right door; our overview of what the Area Agency on Aging does explains how to reach them.

Some counties also fund in-home help and home repair through senior services levies. See our guide to county senior levies and in-home help for how those differ from state utility programs.

A Simple Plan for This Month

If you are helping a parent, here is a sequence that works. First, this week, collect the last two or three utility bills, the benefit letters and photo ID. Second, start the online application at energyhelp.ohio.gov and book the earliest appointment you can. Third, look at the past-due balance: if any exists, call the utility and ask about the Special Reconnect Order and a payment plan. Fourth, ask the provider about PIPP Plus and about the weatherization waiting list. Fifth, put the reverification date and any follow-up appointments on a shared calendar.

None of this requires your parent to be in financial crisis. The programs are designed for ordinary households whose fixed income has not kept pace with heating costs. The only real mistake is waiting until the furnace is already off.

Frequently Asked Questions