MANKATO — Minnesota Energy Assistance Program clients are urged to contact their legislators and tell them how important the program is.

“The good news is we are still taking applications through May 31, processing them and away we go,” said Minnesota Valley Action Council Housing Services Director Judd Schultz.

The program provides a $500 average annual benefit plus addition support to respond to emergencies. Renters and homeowners can qualify for eligibility based on income and household size. A family of four could earn up to $68,845 annually and qualify for energy bill financial assistance.

From Oct. 1 to May 12, 2025, the state energy assistance program prevented 29,380 energy disconnections and funded 10,408 heating fuel deliveries and 7,010 furnace repairs.

There were 500 households assisted in Brown County with $255,704 in total assistance. There were 545 households assisted in Nicollet County, 324 in Sibley County, 463 in Renville County and 457 in Redwood County.

Right now, Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program, administered by the Minnesota Department of Commerce, is fully funded by the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP).

The proposed Fiscal Year 2026 White House budget would eliminate LIHEAP, with Minnesota standing to lose about $125 million in funds a year. The funds help about 125,000 income-eligible households pay utility bills and provide emergency services like propane tank refills and furnace repair.

“We really don’t know what will happen as we get close to Oct. 1. We don’t know if the program will be fully funded (for the next fiscal year) or not,” said Schultz.

“For more than four decades, the federal government has been a reliable partner funding LIHEAP to keep energy affordable for all Minnesotans. Eliminating this vital program is not government efficiency, it’s abandonment,” said Minnesota Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold.

Three-fourths of Minnesota Energy Assistance program recipients are seniors, people with disabilities, or families with young children.

For more information, visit https://mn.gov/commerce/energy/policy-data-reports/energy-assistance.