State officials have announced low-income Iowa households may be eligible for up to two-thousand dollars to help pay overdue utility bills. Under this new program, Iowans who’ve had a pay cut or lost their job due to COVID are eligible. The money will go directly to their utility company to pay off electric, natural gas or water bills. By August, Iowa households had racked up nearly 30 million dollars worth of unpaid electric and gas bills from nearly 185,000 customers. Christine Taylor, state director of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, says low-income Iowans tend to live in older homes that aren’t energy efficient.

Applications may be submitted NOW to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for the new two-thousand dollar grants to cover overdue water, heat and electric bills.