If you are having trouble paying your utility bills, you may be eligible for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP). This program provides subsidies to help low-income residents of New Jersey pay for heating costs and may even help cover certain medically-necessary cooling expenses. You may even be eligible for the LIHEAP program if your heat is included in your rent. This year, the time to apply for LIHEAP has been extended to May 31, 2006.

 

The State of New Jersey also has a program called Universal Service Fund (USF). This program actually will lower the amount eligible applicants pay for natural gas and electricity. USF accepts applications throughout the year.

 

If you are interested in either program, you may call 1-800-510-3102 to obtain and file an application. You can also get applications on the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Web site.

This article appeared in the May 2006 edition of Looking Out for Your Legal Rights^®.