No heat tonight? You're not alone, and there is help.

Help paying for heat, your state's winter shutoff rules, and how to stay safe and warm. It's free, needs no signup, and doesn't track you.

Find help in your state

Pick your state to see heating bill help (LIHEAP), winter shutoff protections, and who to call.

Your state

Help paying for heat, anywhere in the U.S.

1-866-674-6327: the National Energy Assistance Referral line (weekdays 9am–7pm Eastern). They'll tell you where to apply for LIHEAP in your area.
EnergyHelp.us: the federal "where do I apply" site. English, Spanish, and Chinese.
USA.gov: help with energy bills: covers LIHEAP, weatherization, and what to do after a shutoff.
Call your utility. Ask about payment plans, hardship funds, and medical certificates, which can pause a shutoff if someone in the home is seriously ill.

LIHEAP is always free. No real program charges a fee to apply. If someone asks you to pay for a "LIHEAP grant", call the HHS fraud hotline at 1-800-447-8477.

Stay safe while you stay warm

Carbon monoxide (CO) can kill

CO has no smell or color. Early signs feel like the flu: headache, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, and confusion.

Never heat your home with a gas oven or stovetop.
Never use a grill, charcoal, camp stove, or generator indoors, including in a garage, even with the door open.
Keep generators outside, more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents.
Don't warm up in a car that's running inside a garage.
Put a battery CO alarm near where people sleep.

If a CO alarm goes off, or several people feel sick at once: get everyone outside into fresh air, then call 911.

Space heater safety

Keep it 3 feet from anything that can burn: beds, curtains, clothes, paper, and people.
Plug it straight into the wall, not into an extension cord or power strip.
Turn it off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
Choose one with automatic tip-over shutoff, set on a hard, flat floor.
Keep kids and pets away. Never use it to dry clothes.
Make sure your smoke alarms work.

Staying warm without heat

Pick one small room to keep warm. Close the doors to the others.
Block drafts: roll towels under doors, and close curtains at night.
Wear loose layers, a hat, socks, and gloves, even in bed.
Pile up blankets. Share body heat with family, and keep pets close.
Eat regular meals and drink warm, non-alcoholic drinks. Alcohol makes you lose heat faster.
Keep moving a little, but don't get sweaty. Wet clothes pull heat away.
Check on older neighbors, babies, and anyone who lives alone.

Know the danger signs

Hypothermia (body temperature below 95°F): shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, slurred speech, or drowsiness. Babies may have bright red, cold skin and very little energy.

Frostbite: numbness, or white, grayish-yellow, firm, or waxy skin on fingers, toes, ears, or nose.

What to do: get to a warm place. Warm the chest, neck, head, and groin first, and wrap up in dry blankets. Don't rub frostbitten skin. Call 911 if someone is confused, very drowsy, or has stopped shivering.

Sources: CDC: carbon monoxide, Ready.gov: winter weather, NFPA: heating safety, National Weather Service: cold safety. Poison Control: 1-800-222-1222.