Utility assistance program to continue thanks to Champaign state senator

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — A state program helping Illinois residents pay their utility bills has been extended indefinitely.

The funds for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program and the Percentage of Income Payment Plan were scheduled to cease to exist at the end of the year. Champaign State Senator Paul Faraci sponsored a bill removing the end date for the programs offering low-income residents relief from their expenses.

The governor signed the bill into law Friday afternoon.

“If we want to help keep people in their homes, especially those on a fixed income, this is the right thing to do,” Faraci (D-Champaign) said. “The extension of this program is an investment in the health and well-being of our community.”

The Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity administers the utility assistance programs.

“The state LIHEAP funding is a critical component of the safety net for the working poor and households on limited fixed incomes,” State Representative Carol Ammons (D-Urbana), the House sponsor for the bill, said. “Not extending the Energy Assistance Act beyond January 1 would have put many vulnerable households at risk for their health and safety because they would not have been able to afford utilities for their homes.”

More than 174,000 households take advantage of the programs, including 30,000 households with PIPP.

More information on the programs can be found on DCEO’s website .

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