The Iowa Utilities Board is reminding customers the state’s moratorium on winter heating service disconnections ends on April 1. Iowans who have avoided disconnections due to past-due payments through the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) are encouraged to contact their utility company to negotiate payments and prevent loss of service, which could begin as soon as Monday, April 3. LIHEAP is a federally funded program administered by the Iowa Department of Human Rights Division of Community Action Agencies and is designed to assist qualified homeowners and renters in paying a portion of their primary home heating costs through a one-time payment made directly to the utility or heating fuel vendor. Under Iowa’s winter moratorium law, customers who qualify for LIHEAP or the federal Weatherization Assistance Program are protected from the shutoff of natural gas or electric service annually from November 1 to April 1. LIHEAP applications are available through April 30 to assist customers with remaining balances. Alternatively, community action agencies, such as New Opportunities or West Central Community Action, may have additional resources. Contact information for those organizations is included below.
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