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Minnesota Commerce Department Assistance Program

Too many low-income Minnesotans have to choose between paying their energy bill and other necessities – food, medicine and healthcare. Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program offers eligible residents help to pay their energy bills so they do not have to choose between life’s necessities.

The Energy Assistance Program:

  • Serves both renters and homeowners
  • Provides benefits to pay for home heating ranging from $200 to $1,400. An additional $600 is available for households that qualify for crisis benefits.
  • Benefit amounts are based on the household’s heating costs, household size, and income.
  • Provides help with energy disconnections, no/low fuel in the tank, and homeowners’ furnace repairs.
  • Eligibility is based on the household’s past one month of income and assets are not counted.
  • EAP income eligibility threshold is 50% of State Median Income (SMI).

Minnesotans can now apply for the Energy Assistance Program online, making it easier and faster to get help to pay their energy bills. Online Application

If you are interested in receiving weatherization services, the Weatherization Assistance Program uses the same application. 

If you are unable to apply online, require further assistance, or have questions, email [email protected], or call 800-657-3710 to connect with your local service provider.

Crisis Assistance Available for Minnesota Residents

Households with a bill that has an unpaid balance beyond the current month’s charges and/or a disconnection notice* are eligible to receive Crisis Assistance to pay their past due and current balance.

The maximum Crisis Assistance amount is $600.

*Seniors that are 60 years old or older and living in the home can have the current or past due balance paid without a disconnection notice. The account does not need to be in the senior’s name to qualify.

If you find yourself having trouble paying your heating bills, please call 877-267-4764 and we will direct you to available assistance in your area.

Minnesota Gas Affordability Program

Great Plains Natural Gas offers its Minnesota customers a Gas Affordability Program (GAP)* designed to help qualifying residential customers manage their monthly gas bills and pay past due balances. To qualify for the program, customers must have received a Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) grant for the current heating season payable to Great Plains Natural Gas Co. If accepted into the GAP, customers can receive credits on their monthly natural gas bill.

  • To apply for the GAP program, complete and submit the following application to
    The Salvation Army, 2445 Prior Avenue N, Roseville, MN 55113-2714.
  • For more information, call Great Plains Natural Gas at 877-267-4764 or The Salvation Army at 1-888-733-8033.

Gas Affordability Program Application Form

GAP Benefits Include:

  • Helping customers manage their monthly natural gas bills and pay past due balances by providing flat monthly payments.
  • Allowing participants who continue to make payments to avoid having their natural gas service shut-off.

GAP Offers Qualifying Customers Two Types of Credit:

  1. Monthly Affordability Credit for current natural gas charges: Your monthly natural gas charges will be averaged for the year. Qualifying customers will receive a monthly credit so your annual gas bill will not be more than 4% of your household income.
  2. Matching GAP Installment Credit for past due natural gas charges: Great Plains will set up a GAP Installment Plan to help you pay off your past due bill over a period of up to 24 months. Each month you pay your GAP Installment amount, a matching GAP credit will be applied to your account. If you make your payment each month, you will be paying for only one-half of your past due balance.

Conditions of Service:

  • Enrollment participation is limited to a first come first served basis until the estimated GAP dollar cap is reached.
  • If a qualified customer fails to pay two consecutive monthly payments in full under the GAP, they will be terminated from the GAP and will be subject to Great Plains’ regular collection practices including the possibility of disconnection.

*GAP is offered under the Gas Affordability Program Tariff and is subject to annual regulatory review by the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission.

Minnesota Cold Weather Rule

Policies regarding the disconnection of residential heating sources from October 1 through April 30 are governed by Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 216B. Minnesota PUC ​Cold Weather Rule.

Minnesota Customer Service and Billing Rules

Utility customer service is governed by Minnesota Rules, Chapter 7820. Minnesota PUC Customer Service and Billing Rules.

Dial 2-1-1

211 works a bit like 911. Calls to 211 are routed by the local telephone company to a local or regional calling center. The 211 center’s referral specialists receive requests from callers, access databases of resources available from private and public health and human service agencies, match the callers’ needs to available resources, and link or refer them directly to an agency or organization that can help.

Types of Referrals Offered by 211 

  • Basic Human Needs Resources – including food and clothing banks, shelters, rent assistance, and utility assistance.
  • Physical and Mental Health Resources – including health insurance programs, Medicaid and Medicare, maternal health resources, health insurance programs for children, medical information lines, crisis intervention services, support groups, counseling, and drug and alcohol intervention and rehabilitation.
  • Work Support – including financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs.
  • Access to Services in Non-English Languages – including language translation and interpretation services to help non-English-speaking people find public resources (Foreign language services vary by location.)
  • Support for Older Americans and Persons with Disabilities – including adult day care, community meals, respite care, home health care, transportation and homemaker services.
  • Children, Youth and Family Support – including child care, after-school programs, educational programs for low-income families, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services.
  • Suicide Prevention – referral to suicide prevention help organizations.

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