The 2025-2026 energy season has begun, and Rural Resources is preparing to distribute energy assistance funds to eligible households across Lincoln, Ferry, Stevens, and Pend Oreille counties. Funding for our Energy Assistance program comes from the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), funneled through the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Energy Assistance is, by far, the most in-demand program that Rural Resources administers. Each application period, we receive over 1,500 calls or online applications within the span of a couple of minutes. Most of the time, our available slots are filled within 30 seconds of the application opening.

We understand this can be frustrating for people who need assistance and aren’t able to get a slot on our list. It’s clear there’s a huge need for energy assistance funding in our service areas, and the amount of funding we receive from the LIHEAP program simply doesn’t meet the demand in our region. We hear your concerns and we’re working to update our application process to account for the huge demand. In the meantime, here’s some important information to keep in mind as we approach our first application period of the season.

Eligibility Information

• You must be a resident of either Lincoln, Ferry, Stevens, or Pend Oreille County to receive energy assistance from Rural Resources, since we are the LIHEAP provider for these four counties. If you live outside of these counties, you can find your LIHEAP provider here.

• Your household’s average monthly income must be at or below 150% of the federal poverty guidelines. You can find a chart here with current income guidelines.

• Households may receive assistance only ONCE during an energy season (October 1 – September 30).

• Please review the Energy Assistance webpage to access the online application portal and call-in information.

• Filling out an energy assistance application is only the first step to receiving assistance. After your application is reviewed, you’ll meet with a Rural Resources staff member to determine your full eligibility.

• If your contact information changes after you apply for assistance, it is your responsibility to call and update us with your new information.

• If you’ve applied and our Energy staff cannot reach you by phone after 3 attempts or leaving a voicemail with no response, you will lose your spot and will have to reapply.

Call-in applications

• Call-in applications will be received on:
  • December 1, 2025 at 5:00 PM
  • April 1, 2026 at 5:00 PM

• The phone number to call is 509-685-6161 or toll free 866-260-2729. This is a message line only; no one will be answering this line. The line will only be open during call-in time and until limit is reached.

• Leave a message with your name, mailing address, and a working phone number. Speak slowly and clearly, and spell the first and last name.

• If you receive an ‘error’ message while you’re leaving your message, the list has been filled and the system is closing.

• An Energy Specialist will call you for your energy appointment Monday thru Friday between 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. Depending on the volume of applicants, it could be up to 90 days after leaving your contact info before we contact you for an appointment.

• Please wait two weeks before reaching out to Energy Assistance staff to verify whether you are on our waitlist. Please do not re-apply during a future application window until you have spoken with an Energy Specialist.

Online applications

• Online applications will be received on:
  • October 1, 2025 at 11:00 AM (closed)
  • February 1, 2026 at 11:00 AM
  • June 3, 2026 at 11:00 AM

• The application portal will only remain live until the slot limit is reached.

• If you enter an email address into the application portal, you will receive a confirmation email with a confirmation number if your application is received. If you did not enter an email address, please write down your confirmation number you receive upon completion of the application.
• An Energy Specialist will call you for your energy appointment Monday thru Friday between 9:00 am – 4:00 pm. Depending on the volume of applicants, it could be up to 90 days after leaving your contact info before we contact you for an appointment.
• Please wait at least 24 hours before reaching out to Energy Assistance staff to verify whether you are on our waitlist. Please do not re-apply during a future application window until you have spoken with an Energy Specialist.