Schedule Appointment

Documents Needed

Income Guidelines

Community Action’s Energy & Utility Assistance Programs are OPEN! 
We are getting questions about the availability of Energy & Utility Assistance since the announcement in the news on 4/4 that all federal LIHEAP staff have been laid off. Community Action is STILL WORKING for you! (Community Action staff are NOT federal government employees. We are an independent local nonprofit organization who helps get MANY kinds of resources to our neighbors in Skagit County.)
 
Our key messages are:
  • All clients with appointments for Energy & Utility Assistance should KEEP THEIR APPOINTMENTS.
  • Community Action staff are committed to help as many people as possible who qualify to complete their applications for LIHEAP and other programs they may qualify for.
  • Our information from state sources is that LIHEAP will continue for the foreseeable future. We will keep you informed as we learn more.
  • Very Important: When people call our Energy & Utility Assistance program, we screen for ALL programs that may be available to help pay their bills, including programs through PSE, Cascade Natural Gas, and other state and local utility programs.
  • Community Action can help families navigate to other resources, in addition to Energy & Utility Assistance. We can help with food, basic needs and many other resources.
  • For more information about Energy & Utility Assistance, call (360) 428-1011.
  • For inquiries about all other community resources available, call (360) 416-7585, or come to a Community Action Resource Center in Mount Vernon, Anacortes or Concrete: www.CommunityActionSkagit.org
As always, Community Action’s goal is not just to administer one state or federal program. We are here to help provide families with information, tools and assistance to access ALL available resources to help them thrive and achieve their goals!

Cascade Natural Gas Cares

Cascade Natural Gas (CNG) CARES provides qualifying customers in need of bill payment assistance with a discount on their monthly gas bill, plus help with past due balances, if needed. Program features include:

  • Five tiers of discounts with each tier offering a different discount rate based on the customer’s household income and number of residents in their household.
  • The arrearage relief component offers qualifying customers with past-due balances to receive arrearage relief assistance of up to $500.
  • The amount of assistance for past due balances is based on the customer’s income and household size.
  • Assistance levels range from 50%-100% of the past due balance.
  • Time Payment arrangements are available for any remaining balances after the arrearage relief grant is applied.

How to Schedule an Appointment for the Cascade Natural Gas CARES Program

Paper Application
Online Application with your CNG Account

Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP)

If you are experiencing a disconnection of service or shut off notice with a shut off date, please contact us at (360) 428-1011 to discuss your options and see if an emergency appointment is available.

LIHEAP provides energy assistance to households in Washington through a network of community action agencies and local partners. These local organizations will help determine your eligibility and how much assistance you might receive. If you qualify, your local LIHEAP agency will send a payment directly to your energy utility on behalf of your household.

LIHEAP primarily assists households by making an energy assistance grant directly to the energy provider on behalf of the eligible household. LIHEAP may also help repair or replace an unsafe, dysfunctional, and inoperative heating or cooling system in some situations. Households eligible for LIHEAP may also qualify to have their homes made more energy efficient through the Weatherization Program.

Apply Online

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) Help

PSE’s Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP)
PSE’s Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP) provides assistance for residential customers to help pay electric or natural gas bills. If you qualify, they will credit your account for up to $1,000. Begin your application to receive the help you need. Then contact your local Community Agency to complete the HELP application.

How to Schedule an Appointment for the PSE Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP)

Apply Online

How to Schedule an Appointment

The Energy program currently has an open scheduling process Monday- Friday from 8:30 a.m.- 5:00 p.m. General Public appointments are now open! If you meet the income requirements in the table below, call the Energy Assistance line, send us an email or schedule an appointment online through Puget Sound Energy.

Unsure if you qualify? Call us!

  • Schedule an Appointment by Phone
    If you are not a Puget Sound Energy customer or have no way of applying online please call the Energy Assistance line at (360) 428-1011 to schedule your appointment.
  • Schedule an Appointment in Person- we have moved!
    Visit our Energy & Utility Assistance team at their office in Mount Vernon to Schedule an appointment. They are located at 330 Pacific Place, Mount Vernon, WA.
  • Schedule an Appointment in Online
    Starting on November 1, we will open LIHEAP appointments for people 60 years old and under.

What Documents are Needed

For you to receive assistance, you need to have ALL the documents below. If you are missing documents, we may need to reschedule your appointment.

  • Photo ID – for person coming to appointment
  • Social Security Card – For all household members who have a social security number. Undocumented household members may qualify.
  • Proof of ALL income received for three (3) months prior to appointment – for ALL household members 18 and over
  • Proof of physical address – (Copy of a current bill with address)
  • Heating bill (e.g. Puget Sound Energy, Cascade Natural Gas)
  • 12 month usage history for Propane or Heating Oil customers only.

Additional Forms

English Forms

Formas en Español

Income Guidelines

Income guidelines are updated for the program year (10/1/2024- 9/30/2025). If your maximum monthly income is less than the income shown below, you may be eligible for assistance. Eligibility changes depending on how many people live in the household. If you have more than 6 people living in your house, please contact our team.

Program Type 1 person 2 people 3 people 4 people 5 people 6 people*
Customers of any utility company or people who rely on other heat sources such as propane, wood or oil may have a total monthly household income up to this amount, counting all income sources in the home. (LIHEAP program) $1,883 $2,555 $3,228 $3,900 $4,573 $5,245
State Energy Assistance Program (Electric only) customers may qualify up to this income level. $4,254 $4,862 $5,470 $6,075 $6,562 $7,050
Puget Sound Energy and/ or Cascade Natural Gas customers may qualify up to this income level. $4,679 $5,346 $6,013 $6,679 $7,217 $7,750
Warm Home Program customers may qualify up to this income level- only for disconnections. $4,679 $5,346 $6,013 $6,679 $7,217 $7,750

Frequently Asked Questions

Please call us at (360) 428-1011  and we will do our best to help quickly. We reserve our 9:00-10:00 am appointments for emergency appointments each day.

You can try to call the Housing Authority of Skagit County, Weatherization department at (360) 757-6509 x231 to see if they have any help available for heating system repairs. Unfortunately, at this time we do not offer any programs that assist with heating repairs.

Depending on the program, someone in your household may need to meet these requirements but we do not investigate or report immigration status. Your conversation with us about your status or the people living in your home is completely private.

Yes, in some situations. Please contact us at (360) 428-1011 for more information.

Households can receive utility assistance services from Community Action of Skagit County once per program year. You do not have to be behind on your utility bills to receive assistance.

Because financial assistance programs are complicated and change frequently, resource providers sometimes rely on us to help people access them. We are a nonprofit organization and there is no charge for our services. Your personal information is only used to determine whether you are eligible for assistance.

Currently we work with:

  • Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), which provides assistance with power bills, fuel costs and efficiency improvements for anyone who qualifies
  • Puget Sound Energy Home Energy Lifeline Program (HELP), which offers PSE customers assistance paying electric or natural gas bills
  • Cascade Natural Gas Washington Energy Assistance Fund and Winter Help Program (CARES & CWH), which helps CNG customers with natural gas expenses

At this time, Community Action of Skagit County does not have a specific garbage bill assistance program available.

Community Action of Skagit County does not have a program to assist with these bills. However, qualifying households can receive a federal benefit that provides a discount of up to $30 a month towards internet service, and up to $75 per month on qualifying Tribal lands. You can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if you contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price. Information about The Affordable Connectivity Program and the application process can be found here: fcc.gov/acp

An option for households looking for affordable phone service is through Lifeline, a federal benefit that provides eligible consumers with a monthly discount of up to $9.25. Information regarding income qualifications and the application process can be found here: lifelinesupport.org/get-started

For Comcast customers, discounted internet service is available for qualifying households for $9.95 a month through Comcast Internet Essentials. Households that apply for Internet Essentials and the Affordable Connectivity Program can receive internet access for free. More information about this service can be found here: xfinity.com/learn/internet-service/internet-essentialslifelinesupport.org/get-started

We offer portable Air Conditioner units to homes that have received a heating benefit through our LIHEAP program. It is a one-time benefit and each home may only receive one per home.  If you have an upcoming appointment, please let us know if you are interested, we will be offering a limited amount of air conditioners during October 2023-September 2024 to qualified households.

Each year, Community Action of Skagit County, Energy Assistance program opens priority appointments for households with seniors during the months of October and November, with scheduling starting the first Monday in September.

If you are unable to schedule online or by phone due to a disability, you can contact us in person at 160 Cascade Place Suite 110, during regular business hours of 8:30-12 and 1-5 PM, Monday –Friday.  We will closed between 12 -1 PM daily for lunch.  If you have a representative, friend or family member, they may be able to schedule the appointment for you.

Here are some tips for lowering your energy costs throughout the year. Focus first on big items that use a lot of energy:

  1. Most homes can be comfortable with the thermostat set to 68° in the day and 55° at night. If needed, put on a sweater or extra blanket instead of turning up the heat.
  2. Turn your water heater temperature to 125° and only use hot water when needed. For example, hot water is important for washing dishes but you can use cold water for clothes.
  3. Set the refrigerator temperature between 38° and 42° and the freezer between 1° and 3°.
  4. Pay attention to natural ventilation. If your home is too cool and it’s a nice temperature outside, open windows to let in the comfortable air. On the hottest days, close windows and shades instead of using an air conditioner. Although a breeze feels good, this practice helps keep the hot air out of your home.
  5. Unplug small appliances until you need them. (They use energy even when turned off.)
  6. Turn off lights and fans when they’re not in use. When possible, use natural light instead of
    electricity.
  7.  Replace old light bulbs with LED or CFL bulbs. They cost more to buy but save money later by using less energy. LEDs are the most efficient bulbs, and then CFLs.
  8. If you feel air coming in around windows or doors, seal those leaks with caulking or weatherstripping.
  9. For additional tips and how-to resources, see utc.wa.gov/consumers/energy/lower-my-energy-bill.

Questions / Preguntas

For questions, please call Community Action at (360) 428-1011 or email energy@communityactionskagit.org.
Para preguntas, por favor llame a Community Action a (360) 428-1011 o mándenos un correo electrónico a energy@communityactionskagit.org.