The drop in temperatures Wednesday offered a preview of the coming winter weather. Colorado Springs Utilities is reminding customers about a program that offers financial assistance during the colder months.
The federal Low-Income Energy Assistance Program, or LEAP, opens applications for seasonal winter heat assistance Friday and remains open through the end of April.
Last winter the average household that received LEAP assistance in El Paso County got $343 in benefits, according to Colorado Springs Utilities. Heating bills for natural gas often spike during the winter because it is the most common power source for heating homes.
LEAP is only available to households making less than 60% of Colorado’s state median income. This year, that covers individuals making less than $3,380 per month or a family of four making less than $6,500 per month.
Community Relations Supervisor April Speake, who oversees Colorado Springs Utilities’ assistance programs, said demand for LEAP and other assistance rose last year and will likely remain high this winter. LEAP applications jumped in the county from 9,232 households two winters ago to 12,852 households during the 2023-2024 season.
Speake said the increased demand was largely because more households qualified for assistance as inflation and energy costs increased.
Anybody applying for the federal program is not supposed to apply directly through the utility company, but instead go through Pikes Peak United Way or the Colorado PEAK website for state benefit programs to check their eligibility.
“By sending them through those partners, they get more than utility assistance. They can help them with all the assistance they might need” Speake said.
Colorado Springs Utilities offers year-round utility payment assistance through Project COPE. The assistance program offers utility support to people going through crises and emergency situations on a short-term basis. Speake said the program does not turn away any eligible households that ask for assistance.
Project COPE has also seen a growing demand for assistance its emergency assistance. The annual aid provided had risen from $1.1 million near the end of October 2023 to $1.7 million through the same point in 2024.
Beginning Friday, Speke said people applying for utility assistance will have to check their eligibility for LEAP before they can apply for Project COPE.
“We want to use all the federal dollars before we can use our smaller pot of money,” Speake said.
All households that are eligible for LEAP benefits also qualify for the Home Efficiency Assistance Program run by Colorado Springs Utilities and the Energy Resource Center. The HEAP program offers energy audits and potentially free home improvements to help households use less energy during the winter.
Utility rate costs for residents are expected to increase across the board in 2025 based on the proposed Colorado Springs Utilities budget. The average customer will pay $14 more per month across all utilities next year, according to recent budget presentations.
The utilities budget included a five-year plan for base rate increases continuing through 2029 to pay for a series of major capital improvements for energy generation and wastewater system expansions.