Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) helps eligible low-income households pay their heating bills through federal grants to the household. There are two components to this program. Heating Assistance: A grant to assist a household in meeting heating costs. The grant may be paid to either a heating fuel vendor or utility company, or in a few cases, directly to the applicant. Crisis Assistance: A grant to help resolve a home heating crisis caused by a heat shut-off because of failure to pay a regulated energy bill, the inability to pay for deliverable fuel, or the failure of a heating system that is not repairable. The BEC specialist is able to assist with the application process.