Indiana households that qualify for the state’s Energy Assistance Program cannot have their gas or electric service cut off between December 1 and March 15 once they have applied. The protection comes from Indiana Code 8-1-2-121, and it applies to regulated utilities. The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority is taking applications for the new program year now.
The program is federally funded through the Department of Health and Human Services as the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, known as LIHEAP.
Who the shutoff protection covers
The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority’s Get the Brief and the relief finder →
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For a household asking whether applying now keeps the heat on, the answer on the authority’s page is yes for the stretch from December 1 to March 15, as long as the household is eligible and the utility is regulated. The protection begins when the application goes in, which makes the date of submission the thing to keep.
When and where to apply
The application window for Program Year 2027 opened October 1, 2026 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern. It closes April 30, 2027 at 5:00 p.m. Eastern, according to the authority.
Applications can be filed online through the LITT portal at eap.mylitt.com. The authority says the older EAPConnect system is no longer used. Households can also apply by mail or in person through a Local Service Provider, the community agency in each area. A household can contact that agency to request a paper application or to set up an in-person or phone appointment.
The shutoff window and the application window are different dates. The shutoff block runs only from December 1 to March 15, while applications can be filed through April 30, 2027.
What the page does not promise
The protection stops a regulated utility from disconnecting an eligible applicant. The page does not say that the utility bill is paid, forgiven or frozen, and the protection ends on March 15. Balances that built up over the winter are still owed after that date.
Households that apply close to the end of the season should note the difference between the two dates. An application filed in April would fall after the March 15 end of the shutoff window, so the winter protection is meant for households that apply during the cold months. The authority’s page lists the program year as PY2027, which is the year this window covers.
The authority’s page is the place to confirm a specific utility and a specific household size. Its income table, application links and Local Service Provider contacts are all there.
Worried about an Indiana shutoff notice before December 1?
An Indiana retiree who applies late, or lets a disconnection notice sit, can face a shutoff before the December 1 protection window opens. The state protection covers eligible applicants of regulated utilities only, and it ends on March 15.
The Senior Property Tax & Home-Cost Relief Kit includes heating, cooling and home-repair help for older homeowners, and Part 5 covers utilities and home costs. It also lays out how to claim each program it describes, so an older homeowner can see what else is available beyond the state application.
Get the heating and home-repair help kit for the Indiana winter →
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This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
