Despite a holdup in grant awards due to the federal government shutdown, a Southern Indiana agency is continuing its work connecting people to energy assistance.
Brad Wood, executive director of Ohio Valley Opportunities, said the agency served around 5,700 Southern Indiana households last season under the state’s Energy Assistance Program.
That’s a federally funded operation that provides annual payments to help people who meet certain criteria with heating and electric bills.
The EAP is aimed to help people bridge the gap. It doesn’t cover a whole season and maybe not even an entire bill.
But Wood said this and other programs Ohio Valley Opportunities offers can be critical in helping families facing financial hardship.
“Often they’re on the brink of disaster, and it enables them to achieve self sufficiency," he said.
And though the 43-day federal government shutdown caused delays in energy assistance in some areas, Wood said his organization is still working with a surplus from last season, and said other programs are ongoing.
“We are going to work as hard as we can to ensure that families are not in crisis and receive the services that they need,” he said.
How it works
Ohio Valley Opportunities serves five counties through the Energy Assistance Program, including Clark and Floyd.
Residents can apply online, by mail or in person for the annual energy assistance. The agency approves applicants, then the state pays the utility company directly, Wood said. Ohio Valley Opportunities pays directly for wood if someone heats their home that way.
As of last week, there weren’t new contracts this season for the EAP program or Head Start. They’ve fundraised to help keep that open until federal funds come in.
For the EAP program, they’re operating on carryover.
“I think everybody understands that during a federal shutdown, there can be funding disruptions,” Wood said last week. “But for us right now, it is business as usual, and all of our programs are currently in full operation.”
He said Wednesday federal agencies project grants to be awarded for both programs by the end of the month.
Wood said the agency is working with utility vendors to ensure they’ve received payment, and said many companies are also honoring an extension to the state moratorium on utility shutoffs in colder months.
Under Indiana law, companies that provide electric and natural gas are prohibited from cutting customers off between Dec. 1 and March 15 if they receive EAP funds or have applied and qualify.
This year, Wood said he believes most or all companies are counting Nov. 1 as the start this year.
Overall, the need could be bigger this season.
As of last week, Ohio Valley Opportunities had gotten around 3,000 applications. Wood said that’s lower than this time last year, but they’re already seeing a lot of new clients, and he expects that to go up.
And new financial pressures this year, like the delay in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, could cause people to hold off on seeking help with utilities until food needs are met. Wood said, in talking with other service providers, it’s clear that more people are accessing food pantries.
“I think that once people figure out where their meals [are] coming from, the next is heat,” he said.
National and state concerns
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority reports that in fiscal year 2024, more than 120,000 households received energy assistance.
Nationwide, around 6 million households benefit from the national Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which costs around $4 billion per year. That’s according to Cassandra Lovejoy, policy and managing director at the National Energy Assistance Directors Association, or NEADA, an organization that represents the state implementers of the LIHEAP program.
She said last week they’re “very concerned” about the status of LIHEAP funding. In a normal year they would have already received funding and be providing benefits to households around the country “and that is not happening in most states right now.”
Lovejoy said the assistance only accounts for around 20% of eligible households — in some cases because people don’t know about the program or choose not to apply, or due to lack of funding.
“If we wanted to fully fund the program, we’d have to double the appropriation,” she said.
She also said the need for utility assistance can point to larger financial issues.
“If you're struggling with that bill, chances are that you're struggling with most of your other bills as well,” she said.
Danielle Drew, housing stability manager at Prosperity Indiana, said in an email that even though there is a moratorium preventing utility shutoffs in colder months, that money is still due. Families can fall behind, which can mean they face high utility costs and shutoffs after March 15.
Lovejoy expects the need for energy assistance to increase — due to inflation, rising grocery prices, delayed SNAP benefits and rising energy costs.
Information from NEADA shows that the average electric bill in Indiana rose 25% from July 2024 compared with July 2025 — the second largest increase in the country, behind Illinois. That means Hoosiers paid on average $42 more a year later.
In October, NEADA executive director Mark Wolfe called on utility companies across the United States to “maintain continuous service for all customers until federal LIHEAP funds are released and households regain access to vital financial assistance.”
CenterPoint Energy and Duke Energy, two companies that serve Southern Indiana, told LPM News they have existing programs to help customers.
At CenterPoint, that includes a partnership with the Salvation Army and balanced billing, which averages a customer’s annual payments divided by 12, so they pay the same amount every month.
Duke Energy’s offerings include interest-free payments and the company’s Share the Light Fund, which can provide up to $300 in payment help.
How to apply
Applications for Indiana’s Energy Assistance Program opened on Oct. 1 and close at 5 p.m. April 20. Residents can apply online via the state portal. Southern Indiana residents can also get information about mail or in-person applications by contacting Ohio Valley Opportunities.
Wood said people who need help now shouldn’t wait to apply.
“But if someone loses their job in January or February, I would still encourage them to apply and we're going to see what we can do,” he said. “Because everybody's circumstances are fluid and things change rapidly sometimes. ”
Coverage of Southern Indiana is funded, in part, by Samtec Inc., the Hazel & Walter T. Bales Foundation, and the Caesars Foundation of Floyd County.
