Energy Assistance Program

How it works

The City of Roanoke’s Energy Assistance Program helps low-income households meet their immediate home energy needs. The page says the program has four components: Fuel Assistance, Crisis Assistance, Cooling Assistance, and Weatherization Assistance.

Applicants can screen for eligibility and apply online through CommonHelp, apply by phone through the Enterprise Customer Service Center, or submit a manual application to the local Department of Social Services. The page says no interview is needed to determine eligibility.

What the money or service covers

The page explains the general program is intended to help with immediate home energy needs, but it is not meant to cover a household’s total home energy cost during the heating season. Households must continue making monthly bill payments.

The page gives details for the listed components:

• Fuel Assistance: help purchasing home heating fuel.
• Crisis Assistance: help for an emergency heating need, including a one-time heat security deposit, home heating fuel, a heat utility bill, emergency shelter, and heating equipment repair or purchase.
• Cooling Assistance: purchase of AC window units, repair of cooling equipment, and/or payment of electricity bills needed to operate cooling equipment.
• Weatherization Assistance: the page names this component, but does not describe specific measures on the page excerpt provided.

Amounts and matching

The page does not state a dollar amount for Weatherization Assistance or a matching requirement.

How to apply

1. Screen for eligibility and apply online through CommonHelp.
2. Or call the Enterprise Customer Service Center at (855) 635-4370, Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.
3. Or submit a manual application to the local Department of Social Services.

Timing and deadlines

The page gives dates for the other Energy Assistance components:

• Fuel Assistance: second Tuesday of October through the second Friday of November.
• Crisis Assistance: applications November 1 through March 15; purchase of home heating fuel and payment of heat utility bill begin January 1.
• Cooling Assistance: June 15 through August 15.

The page does not give a separate weatherization-specific deadline.