REAL Services assists low-income households with electric and heating expenses during the winter months with funding provided through federal and state government. Please note that EAP benefits are NOT monthly payments.

Application and Eligibility

To be eligible for the Energy Assistance Program (EAP), households must be within 60% of the state median income. Benefits depend on household size, income, utility cost, and fuel type.

REAL Services, Inc. administers the Energy Assistance Program in Elkhart, Fulton, Kosciusko, Marshall, and St. Joseph Counties.

Applications may be submitted via fax to 574-236-4891 or emailed to eapapps@realservices.org

  • Eligibility is based on the previous three months of income.
  • Households with electric and/or heating utilities included in their rent may qualify for an EAP benefit. The household must submit a full application with required documents, and meet the EAP income guidelines. A household with utilities included in their rent must pay a minimum of $1.00 rent and must submit a landlord affidavit.
  • Households with electric and/or heating utility in a non-household member’s name may still qualify for an EAP benefit. Please complete and return a Utility Affidavit.

 

Instructions and Program Information

Those interested in the program must submit an application to determine their eligibility. Households with disconnect notices or disconnected utilities should call our office at 574-232-6501 after October 1, 2024 for additional instructions to ensure that utility companies will be notified immediately upon approval, after the program start date of November 1.

Households may submit an application starting October 1, 2024. Please note that the Energy Assistance Program (EAP) start date is November 1, 2024 and EAP is unable to send notifications to the utility companies until the start date.

Households with disconnect notices should submit the mail-in application with a clear note that there is a disconnect notice in place. Please note that EAP is unable to notify utility companies of benefits until after November 1, 2023 and you must make other arrangements for disconnect notices before that date.

Households with disconnected utilities should call our office at 574-232-6501 after October 1, 2024 for instructions on how to proceed

In order to make the application process easier, mail-in applications are available for all households. A link to the application and other documents is available in the downloads section, or you may call our office at 574-232-6501 or toll-free 800-225-3367 to request an application.

The following information must be submitted with the application—either mail-in or office appointment—for all household members. Please send copies, as originals may not be returned.

  1. Copies of Social Security Cards
  2. Copies of ID’s
  3. Proof of income for all household members 18 years and older. This includes all of the following types of income: wages, military pay, odd jobs, self-employment income, Social Security (also submit if receiving for a minor), SSI (also submit if receiving for a minor), VA benefits and other pension, Workman’s Compensation, Unemployment Compensation, strike benefits, severance pay, dividends and interest on savings accounts and CD’s, rental income, royalties, income from estates and trust funds, annuities, insurance benefits, and gaming winnings.
  4. Recent copies of electric and heating bills. (If bills are in the landlord’s name or included in the rent, a landlord affidavit must be submitted.)
  5. Landlord affidavit or copy of signed lease (less than 24 months old) if either/both utilities are included in rent.

When the application is approved the utility companies will be notified and a credit given to that account, or fuel will be delivered. This is a one-time credit—not a monthly payment.

Please note that it  may take 60-90 days for credits to show on your utility bills.

Energy Assistance cannot be used for deposit money or old bills.

The Energy Assistance Program reserves the right to request additional information as necessary.