Help with electric and gas bills (LIHEAP)
What it is. A payment made directly to your utility — either a home-energy credit (once per 12 months) or crisis help (one or more payments, up to $1,000 a year) to stop a disconnection, reconnect service, or cover a deposit. Direct assistance, administered by a different agency in each county.
Who it's for. Households with income at or below the LIHEAP limit (federal fiscal year 2026: $61,837 a year for a family of 4; $32,155 for one person). You must be responsible for the energy bill. Having a child, elderly person, or disabled member in the home can increase the credit.
First step. All four counties on this page take applications through the state portal at floridaliheap.com (opens in a new tab). As of October 18, 2026 that portal displayed "LIHEAP applications are currently not being accepted" and told families to check back or contact the local agency. Funding runs out and reopens during the year, so call your county agency first (numbers below) to ask whether applications are open today.
In your county.
| County | Agency | Phone | Availability (as of 2026-10-18) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orange | Orange County Community Action Division, 2100 E. Michigan St., Orlando | 407-836-7429 (LIHEAP line Mon–Fri 8:30 a.m.–noon) | Not confirmed — call |
| Volusia | Volusia County Human Services (DeLand and Daytona Beach offices) | 386-736-5955 | Not confirmed — call |
| Alachua | Central Florida Community Action Agency, 411 N. Main St., Suite 210, Gainesville | 352-373-7667 | Application quota reached, per the agency's Oct 5, 2026 notice ("check back daily, as application availability may change"); 2-1-1 for other help. Families without internet can call for an appointment; turnaround up to 30 business days when open |
| Duval | Northeast Florida Community Action Agency, 2055 Reyko Rd., Suite 200, Jacksonville | 904-398-7472 | Not confirmed — call |
Documents (statewide portal list). Photo ID; names, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers for everyone in the home; your most recent energy bill plus any disconnection notice; last month's income for all household members; proof of citizenship or qualified immigration status; benefit award letters if any. Orange County requires everything uploaded at submission. Volusia will not accept bank statements or screenshots as income proof.
If you have a child who depends on electric medical equipment: ask your utility about its medical-alert or medically essential program. What it gives differs by utility: OUC (Orlando) gives notice of planned outages and payment-arrangement consideration; GRU (Gainesville) gives 24-hour notice before a nonpayment disconnection; JEA (Jacksonville) makes an extra contact attempt before disconnecting. None of them prevents disconnection for nonpayment.
Cost. Free.
Official source. FloridaCommerce LIHEAP provider directory (opens in a new tab)
Not yet confirmed: whether Orange, Volusia, or Duval are accepting applications today, and whether those three offer phone or walk-in intake for families without internet.