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Almost 340,000 Minnesota households have past-due gas and electric utility bills thanks to the pandemic. And now there's millions more dollars to help folks who got way behind during the pandemic.

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The Minnesota Public Utilities Commission figures if all those bills were put together, about $140 Million is owed. And since the commission lifted the pandemic ban on disconnection for past-due bills in May, people could already be in the process of being disconnected.

How Much Assistance Can Each Minnesota Household Receive?

Households can apply for Minnesota's Energy Assistance program and may quality for $1,600 for energy bills and may qualify for an additional $1,200 to cover past-due bills.

Commerce Commissioner Grace Arnold said, “We want the thousands of Minnesotans who have fallen behind on their utility bill payments to know you have options to keep the power on in your home."

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How Do You Apply for Minnesota's Energy Assistance?

Minnesotans should apply now for the Energy Assistance Program. Request an application or find your local service provider: Call 800-657-3710 and press 1 or go online: mn.gov/commerce/eap.jsp.

If you're approved, the money will be sent directly to the utility. 

Key facts about Minnesota’s Energy Assistance Program: (Source)

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  • Homeowners and renters can qualify for energy assistance.
  • Commerce has raised the income level for households to qualify, so more Minnesota households than ever before qualify for energy assistance. For example, a household with four people can have annual income of up to $65,228 to qualify.
  • Minnesota households that apply for the Energy Assistance Program and have a pending or approved application are protected from utility disconnections through April 2022.
  • Services include payments for current and past-due bills for electric, gas and propane energy, emergency fuel delivery, repair/replacement of homeowners’ broken heating systems.
  • The application for the Energy Assistance Program is the same one to determine if a household will qualify for services in the Weatherization Assistance Program, which provides free home energy upgrades to income-eligible homeowners and renters to help save energy and make sure your home is a healthy and safe place to live.
  • Households also receive education on efficient and safe use of energy.

As always, if you have a comment, complaint, or concern about something I wrote here, please let me know: james.rabe@townsquaremedia.com

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