Low-Income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP)

NEW YEAR = NEW WARMTH FOR YOU AND YOUR FAMILY

DENVER – January 2009 – Nothing is more comforting than a warm house during the cold winter months. However, comfort is not the only reason to keep your home warm in the New Year. A poorly heated house can be extremely harmful to the well being of children and senior citizens, those most vulnerable to health problems caused by cold temperatures.

Children and senior citizens lose body heat more easily than adults and are more likely to have preexisting conditions that are aggravated by cold. Children and seniors also tend to have low defenses, leaving them more susceptible to colds, the flu and pneumonia. The Low-income Energy Assistance Program (LEAP) can help prevent these issues by assisting families with their expensive heating bills through the cold winter months.

“While some adults may be able to withstand colder temperatures in the home, children and the elderly may not be as strong or healthy,” said LEAP director Todd Jorgensen. “This is why it so important to keep a house warm. LEAP can help families cover heating costs, making sure that the home is safe for all of its inhabitants.”

LEAP pays the highest benefits to those with the highest heating bills and lowest incomes by family size. Applicant income cannot exceed 185 percent of the federal poverty index, which equals a maximum income of $3,184 per month before taxes for a household of four people. The anticipated average LEAP benefit for 2007-2008 is approximately $316 per family.

LEAP applicants must provide a copy of valid identification and a completed affidavit indicating that they are lawfully present in the United States with their applications to the program. Applicants must also be responsible for paying heating costs, either to a utility company, or to a landlord as part of rent. Currently, El Paso, Arapahoe, Adams, Pueblo, and Jefferson County are the LEAP offices receiving the largest amount of applications this year.

While LEAP provides assistance paying for heating bills, there are additional ways to keep yourself and your family warm and safe. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) offers the following tips you should know to prevent cold-related health and safety problems:
• If you plan to use a wood stove, fireplace, or space heater, be extremely careful. Install a smoke detector and a battery-operated carbon monoxide detector near the area to be heated. Test them monthly, and replace batteries twice yearly.
• If you don’t need extra ventilation, keep as much heat as possible inside your home. Avoid unnecessary opening of doors or windows. Close off unneeded rooms, stuff towels or rags in cracks under doors, and close draperies or cover windows with blankets at night.
• Eating well-balanced meals will help you stay warmer. Do not drink alcoholic or caffeinated beverages—they cause your body to lose heat more rapidly. Instead, drink warm, sweet beverages or broth to help maintain your body temperature.
• Extreme cold can cause water pipes in your home to freeze and sometimes rupture. When very cold temperatures are expected:
* Leave all water taps slightly open so they drip continuously.
* Keep the indoor temperature warm.
* Improve the circulation of heated air near pipes. For
example, open kitchen cabinet doors beneath the kitchen sink.

Applications for LEAP are accepted anytime between November 1 and April 30 of each year. For more information about LEAP, please call 1-866-HEAT-HELP (1-866-432-8435) or visit www.cdhs.state.co.us/leap/index.htm to view the most current program application requirements