Oklahoma energy help — LIHEAP in plain words
LIHEAP helps with home energy costs in Oklahoma. This page explains what it is, when it opens, and where to apply.
Checked November 2026
What LIHEAP is
LIHEAP stands for Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
It is a federal program. In Oklahoma, it is run by Oklahoma Human Services. That agency is also called OKDHS.
It helps low-income households with home energy costs.
That can mean help offsetting bills. It can mean help preventing a shutoff. It can also mean help restoring service that was cut off.
The three parts
LIHEAP has three parts.
- Winter Heating — help with heating costs in winter.
- Summer Cooling — help with cooling costs in summer.
- ECAP — the Energy Crisis Assistance Program. This part is for households with a verifiable energy crisis, such as losing heating or cooling.
When each part opens
These are the anticipated open enrollment dates for federal fiscal year 2027, as printed by OKDHS.
- Winter Heating opens Tuesday, December 15, 2026.
- ECAP opens Tuesday, April 13, 2027.
- Summer Cooling opens Tuesday, July 13, 2027.
OKDHS says these dates are anticipated. They could be delayed.
Each program stays open until its funds are used up.
Life-threatening crisis help — all year
Life-threatening crisis help runs all year. It does not wait for open enrollment.
This help is for cases like these:
- A household member needs lifesaving medical equipment.
- There are extreme temperatures.
Call 405-522-5050 and select the energy assistance options.
Each life-threatening case is looked at one by one.
OKDHS may ask for a note from a licensed health care professional.
How to apply
Apply online at OKDHSLive.org during open enrollment.
Look for the red banner that reads “Apply for Energy Assistance.”
Please know this: Winter Heating and Summer Cooling are not emergency programs.
Processing can take up to 60 calendar days.
This page does not take applications. Use the official site above.
The rules OKDHS prints
Help is based on three things:
- Income
- Household size
- Responsibility for paying the home energy cost
Only one payment per household per program part.
A “household” is everyone living under the same roof with one utility meter. Everyone on the same meter applies together.
A household is not eligible if someone who does not live at the home pays the utility bill directly to the provider.
A household may qualify for more than one part.
Households that include a citizen of a Native Nation
Households that include a citizen of a federally recognized Native Nation may apply through OKDHS or through a Native program.
They may not apply through both for the same part in the same federal fiscal year.
Published maximum income
The table below shows the maximum monthly gross income in OKDHS’s state plan, effective October 1, 2026, by household size.
| Household size | Maximum monthly gross income |
|---|---|
| 1 person | $1,696 |
| 2 people | $2,292 |
| 3 people | $2,888 |
| 4 people | $3,483 |
| 5 people | $4,079 |
| 6 people | $4,675 |
| 7 people | $5,271 |
| 8 people | $5,867 |
Read this table with care.
These are the program’s published maximums. Being under a line does not promise help. OKDHS decides every application.
Contact OKDHS LIHEAP
Email: LIHEAP2@okdhs.org
Voicemail: (405) 522-5050
Mail:
Oklahoma Human Services, LIHEAPP.O. Box 25352
Oklahoma City, OK 73125
Only Oklahoma Human Services can decide who gets help.
Sources
The facts on this page come from:
- Oklahoma Department of Human Services (Oklahoma Human Services / OKDHS)
- LIHEAP program page on oklahoma.gov
- OKDHS Energy Assistance State Plan notice — state plan effective October 1, 2026
Checked November 2026.