As of November 25, 2025, the State of North Carolina has not received their notice of funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) from the federal government. Due to the delay in receiving this notice, county Departments of Social Services will not be able to accept new applications for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIEAP) on December 1, 2025. We are closely monitoring the situation and will notify the public as soon as the funding is received and the application process begins.
People who qualify for the auto-renewal are not impacted and their energy provider will receive the benefit on December 1, 2025 as expected. Households meeting the requirements for the automatic payment were notified in November 2025 and do not need to re-apply for LIEAP.
https://www.ncdhhs.gov/divisions/social-services/energy-assistance/low-income-energy-assistance-lieap
