As we’ve noted in previous installments of the Working Together blog, the Minnesota Department of Commerce has both extended this year’s application deadline for Energy Assistance and expanded eligibility guidelines. As such, more Minnesotans now qualify for Energy Assistance than ever before. An estimated 340,000 Minnesota households are currently behind on their utilities, collectively owing around $140 million in past due gas and/or electricity bills. But there is help available as the State of Minnesota has an additional $167 million in federal funds to distribute in 2021.
Eligible households (including renters and homeowners) can receive up to $1,600 to cover past due energy bills. Moreover, Energy Assistance beneficiaries may also qualify for free furnace repair/replacement as well as the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides energy efficient upgrades and home improvements at no cost. For more information, including eligibility guidelines call the Minnesota Department of Commerce at 1-800-657-3710 or visit them online.
You can also access the informational flyers below, which are available in English, Hmong, Somali, Spanish, and Vietnamese. And finally, the Department of Commerce has created a series of You Tube videos, featuring CAPRW Outreach/Media Coordinator Keich Hepburn, to walk you step by step through the Energy Assistance application process on their site or through your local Energy Assistance provider.
