If you don’t know how you’ll pay for fuel this winter but don’t think you qualify for the federal Low Income Heating Assistance Program (LIHEAP), you might be surprised. According to MaineHousing, which administers Maine’s LIHEAP program, only about half the households that qualify for LIHEAP apply for the funds.

To qualify, your household income must be 150 percent or less of the federal poverty level, or 170 percent of the poverty level if at least one household member is over 60, under 2, or has a documented medical condition that makes him or her particularly susceptible to hypothermia.

Do you qualify? Here are some of the income threshholds for the 2008-2009 LIHEAP program:

Family of 2: $21,200 (150 percent FPL); $23,800 (170 percent FPL).

Family of 4: $31,800; 36,040.

Family of 6: $42,600; $42,800.

To apply or for more information, Cumberland County residents should call the People’s Regional Action Progam, 874-1140; in York County, York County Community Action Corp., 324-5762.

Be prepared to bring the following information to an interview:

• Names and Social Security numbers of all people living in the household.

• Proof of gross household income for the last three or 12 months (wages, Social Security, unemployment, pension, and disability payments are all considered to be income).

• Proof of crrcurrent address (rent receipt, lease, deed or property tax bill).

• Recent copies of energy and utility bills.

EMERGENCIES

Those who do not qualify for LIHEAP funds can still get assistance from MaineHousing, local governments and many local charities if in an emergency.

Oganizations that provide emergency fuel assistance ask that residents not wait until they are in crisis and without heat to call.

“Last year, nearly a third of our fuel assistance went to paying emergency delivery fees because people would wait until they were literally out of fuel to call for help, often on weekends or at night, when the fuel companies charge a surcharge for

delivery,” said Deborah McLean, vice president of marketing and communications for the United Way of Greater Portland. “If we can get folks to look realistically at their fuel and assess their needs, and call for help while they still have some fuel

left, our emergency fuel dollars will go a lot further.”